| 2014–15 Chicago Bulls season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Tom Thibodeau | ||
| General manager | Gar Forman | ||
| Owners | Jerry Reinsdorf | ||
| Arena | United Center | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 50–32 (.610) | ||
| Place | Division: 2nd (Central) Conference: 3rd (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | Conference Semifinals (lost toCavaliers 2–4) | ||
Stats atBasketball Reference | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | CSN Chicago WGN WCIU | ||
| Radio | WMVP | ||
| |||
The2014–15Chicago Bulls season was the franchise's 49th season in theNational Basketball Association (NBA),[1] and fifth under head coachTom Thibodeau.[2] In the off-season, the Bulls letCarlos Boozer go and signedPau Gasol.[3][4] Chicago had its first 50-win season since the2011–12 season with a record of 50–32. Seeded number three in theplayoffs, the Bulls met theMilwaukee Bucks in thefirst round and defeated them, 4–2. However, Chicago's season ended with a 2–4 loss to the eventual Eastern Conference championCleveland Cavaliers in theConference semifinals.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College or club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Jusuf Nurkić | C |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | Cedevita Zagreb(Croatia) |
| 1 | 19 | Gary Harris | SG |  United States | Michigan State |
| 2 | 49 | Cameron Bairstow | PF |  Australia | New Mexico |
| Made roster | |||||
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On July 18, the Bulls signed 13-year veteranPau Gasol andReal Madrid playerNikola Mirotić.[4][5] Gasol received a three-year, $22 million deal,[6] while Mirotić's contract was reported to be a three-year, $16.6 million deal.[7] Then, on July 21,Kirk Hinrich was re-signed,[8] whose contract was a two-year, $5.5 million deal.[9] The next day,Aaron Brooks signed with the Bulls.[10]
On September 18, the Bulls signedE'Twaun Moore.[11]Nazr Mohammed was re-signed on September 22.[12] The Bulls finalized its training camp roster with the additions ofKim English,Ben Hansbrough, andSolomon Jones on September 26.[13]
On June 26, the Bulls acquired the draft rights to McDermott, the 11th pick in the NBA draft, andAnthony Randolph from the Nuggets, who received the draft rights ofJusuf Nurkić andGary Harris, as well as a 2015 second-round draft pick.[14] In a trade with theOrlando Magic on July 14, the Bulls gained the draft rights toMilovan Raković, while Randolph, 2015 and 2016 second-round draft picks, and cash considerations were sent to the Magic.[15] On the same day, the Bulls acquired the draft rights toTadija Dragićević from theDallas Mavericks, who receivedGreg Smith.[16]
On June 21,Tornike Shengelia, anunrestricted free agent, went overseas, signing withSaski Baskonia.[17]D. J. Augustin signed a contract with theDetroit Pistons on July 15.[18] On the same day, the Bulls waivedLou Amundson,Ronnie Brewer, andMike James.[19] The Bulls then waived 12-year veteran and two-timeNBA All-StarCarlos Boozer on July 17.[3] On July 24,Jimmer Fredette signed with theNew Orleans Pelicans.[20]
After having an arthroscopic left knee surgery,Joakim Noah reported that he was "doing well" in rehabilitation on June 27.[21] On August 8,Guy Rodgers, who spent one season with the Bulls, was posthumously inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[22]Ronald Dupree, who played for the2003–04 Chicago Bulls, announced his retirement on September 8.[23] Additionally,Caldwell Jones, who played for the1984–85 Chicago Bulls, died on September 21.[24]
It was announced on July 22 thatJimmy Butler and McDermott would play on the 2014 U.S. Select Team.[25] The Bulls' team captainDerrick Rose participated in the2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup representing theUnited States men's national basketball team; head coachTom Thibodeau was also part of the team as an assistant coach.[26][27]
Gasol, another Bulls' player, played for theSpain national basketball team in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[28] Bairstow also played in the World Cup, competing for theAustralia national basketball team.[29] On September 14, Gasol was named to theAll-Tournament Team.[30]
On August 11, the Bulls released the 2014–15 preseason schedule for the team.[31] Chicago's 2014–15 regular season schedule was released on August 13.[32] On September 12, the Bulls opened a new training facility called the Advocate Center next to theUnited Center, replacing the Berto Center inDeerfield, Illinois.[33]
Noah threw out the ceremonial first pitch at aChicago White Sox game on September 11.[34] The White Sox dubbed theirSeptember 13 game vs. the Minnesota Twins as "Bulls Night", welcoming Bulls fans to the ballpark.[35] On September 17, Noah also threw out the first pitch at aChicago Cubs game.[36]
On September 23, Rose donated $1 million to After School Matters, a non-profit organization based in Chicago.[37] The Bulls began selling tickets to the public on September 26.[38] On September 28, Brooks threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a White Sox game against theKansas City Royals.[39]
On September 11, the 2014–15 television schedule was released.[40]CSN Chicago was selected to broadcast a total of 42 regular-season games and six preseason games.[40]WGN-TV was to televise 22 regular-season games and the remaining two preseason games.[40] Furthermore,WPWR-TV, a station that will replaceWCIU-TV for broadcasting rights, will broadcast six regular season games.[40][41] Throughout the Bulls' regular season, 30 games were selected to be nationally televised.[40] The 30 games were split betweenESPN (10),TNT (10),ABC (5), andNBA TV (5).[40]WGN America, WGN-TV'ssuperstation feed, announced it would discontinue its national simulcasts of Bulls games in December 2014 as part of agradual format change.[42]
| Date | Away team | Home team | Time | Broadcaster |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 17, 2014 | Chicago Bulls | Los Angeles Clippers | 9:30 p.m. | Sportsnet One |
| November 20, 2014 | Chicago Bulls | Sacramento Kings | 9:30 p.m. | TSN2 |
| November 21, 2014 | Chicago Bulls | Portland Trail Blazers | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| November 25, 2014 | Chicago Bulls | Denver Nuggets | 8:00 p.m. | Sportsnet 360 |
| November 30, 2014 | Chicago Bulls | Brooklyn Nets | 2:00 p.m. | Sportsnet |
| December 6, 2014 | Golden State Warriors | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| December 18, 2014 | New York Knicks | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | TSN |
| December 22, 2014 | Toronto Raptors | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | Sportsnet One |
| December 25, 2014 | Los Angeles Lakers | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | TSN |
| January 1, 2015 | Denver Nuggets | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | Sportsnet One |
| January 5, 2015 | Houston Rockets | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | Sportsnet |
| January 9, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Washington Wizards | 7:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
| January 22, 2015 | San Antonio Spurs | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
| January 23, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Dallas Mavericks | 7:00 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| January 25, 2015 | Miami Heat | Chicago Bulls | 12:00 p.m. | TSN |
| January 27, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Golden State Warriors | 9:30 p.m. | Sportsnet 360 |
| January 29, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Los Angeles Lakers | 9:30 p.m. | TSN2 |
| January 30, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Phoenix Suns | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| February 7, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | New Orleans Pelicans | 6:00 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| February 12, 2015 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
| March 1, 2015 | Los Angeles Clippers | Chicago Bulls | 12:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
| March 5, 2015 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
| March 9, 2015 | Memphis Grizzlies | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | NBA TV Canada |
| March 20, 2015 | Toronto Raptors | Chicago Bulls | 7:00 p.m. | Sportsnet |
| March 25, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Toronto Raptors | 6:30 p.m. | TSN |
| April 5, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Cleveland Cavaliers | 2:30 p.m. | TSN2 |
| April 9, 2015 | Chicago Bulls | Miami Heat | 7:00 p.m. | TSN2 |
On September 15, the Bulls released their training camp schedule.[43] There were ten practice sessions from September 30 to October 5.[43] Training camp began for the Bulls on September 29 with Media Day at their new Advocate Center.[13] In a scrimmage on September 30, Rose, Butler,Mike Dunleavy Jr., Gasol, and Noah were selected as starters.[44] On October 1, Thibodeau said to reporters that he believed that Mirotić was impressive,[45] and Noah called him a "secret weapon".[46]
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After receiving a day off, training camp resumed on October 4, Rose's birthday, when he was cited for having his best practice of the season.[47] Meanwhile, Dunleavy helped rookie McDermott fix issues of staying inbounds for corner 3-pointers.[48] Commenting on the team's two rookies, Thibodeau said, "[McDermott] and [Mirotic] have done a good job."[48] Furthermore, Noah said that he would wear a knee brace on his left knee which was surgically repaired during the offseason.[49] On October 5, Rose commented that the Bulls are "a dangerous team."[50] In an ESPN power ranking, Chicago was rated number three behind theCleveland Cavaliers (number two) and theSan Antonio Spurs (number one).[51]
Following the NBA draft,Bleacher Report gave the Bulls a "B".[52] Additionally,USA Today would give a slightly better grade with a "B+".[53] In regard to the McDermott acquisition, James Tillman of HoopsHabit.com assessed a "B" grade to the team.[54]Yahoo! Sports graded the Bulls performance at the draft a "C+".[55]Sporting News assessed a "C" to Chicago.[56]SB Nation graded the first-round draft picks with three categories: upside, fit, and immediate impact.[57] The Bulls' McDermott was assessed a "C" in upside, "A" in fit, and "A" in immediate impact."[57]
CSN Houston assessed an "A+", calling the McDermott pick asteal.[58]The Cincinnati Enquirer gave two "B+" grades each for the Bulls' drafting of McDermott and Bairstow.[59]The Plain Dealer gave Chicago a "B+".[60]Philly.com gave a "B+" for the Bulls.[61]CSN New England gave a "B" grade.[62]
In a July 13 report card, Bleacher Report assessed an "A" to Chicago's trade for McDermott, the drafting of Bairstow a "B−", and the signing of Gasol a "A−".[63] Then, in a HoopsHabit.com August 8 report card, the signing of Gasol was downgraded to a "B+", the McDermott acquisition a "B", the signing of Mirotić a "C+", and the Aaron Brooks signing a "C".[64] On August 12,Deseret News gave out an overall grade of "A".[65]
Bleacher Report would give position-by-position grades on the Bulls' training camp roster.[66] At the point guard position, an "A" grade was given.[66] For the shooting guards, they were rated an above average grade of "B".[66] However, the small forwards were given a "C+".[66] The power forwards were given an "A" mostly due to the addition of Gasol.[66] Lastly, the center position was given a "B+".[66]
In an NBA.com off-season report card, the Bulls were given an "A−" grade.[67]
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Cleveland Cavaliers | 53 | 29 | .646 | – | 31–10 | 22–19 | 11–5 | 82 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | .610 | 3.0 | 27–14 | 23–18 | 8–8 | 82 |
| x-Milwaukee Bucks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 12.0 | 23–18 | 18–23 | 7–9 | 82 |
| Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 15.0 | 23–18 | 15–26 | 8–8 | 82 |
| Detroit Pistons | 32 | 50 | .390 | 21.0 | 18–23 | 14–27 | 6–10 | 82 |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c-Atlanta Hawks * | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y-Cleveland Cavaliers * | 53 | 29 | .646 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x-Chicago Bulls | 50 | 32 | .610 | 10.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y-Toronto Raptors * | 49 | 33 | .598 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x-Washington Wizards | 46 | 36 | .561 | 14.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x-Boston Celtics | 40 | 42 | .488 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x-Brooklyn Nets | 38 | 44 | .463 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Indiana Pacers | 38 | 44 | .463 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 37 | 45 | .451 | 23.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Charlotte Hornets | 33 | 49 | .402 | 27.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Detroit Pistons | 32 | 50 | .390 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Orlando Magic | 25 | 57 | .305 | 35.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Philadelphia 76ers | 18 | 64 | .220 | 42.0 | 82 |
| 15 | New York Knicks | 17 | 65 | .207 | 43.0 | 82 |
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On October 6, Chicago would begin itspreseason in the United Center against theWashington Wizards, the very team that eliminated the Bulls in five games in thefirst round of the2014 NBA Playoffs.[70] In the midst of a 12-gamewin streak in preseason games, it ended with an 81–85 loss to the Wizards.[71] At one point in the game, Noah and Wizards' forwardPaul Pierce were in a brief scuffle with each other.[72] The confrontation had occurred after Pierce committed a hard foul on Butler, leading Thibodeau to try to break them up.[73] The game was televised locally on CSN Chicago.[74] After the game, Noah and Pierce were fined $15,000 each, and four Wizards players were suspended for one regular season game for leaving the bench.[75]
In the next game, the Bulls met theirdivisional rival, the Detroit Pistons, atThe Palace of Auburn Hills on October 7. Unfortunately, the Bulls would lose inovertime, being defeated 109–111.[76] Thibodeau played it safe and sat Noah out of the game against the Pistons.[77] While the game was televised locally on CSN Chicago, it was also televised nationally on NBA TV.[78]
On October 11, the Bulls' next opponent would be theMilwaukee Bucks at theBMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago defeated the Bucks 91–85 for their first victory of the preseason. Gasol led the way, accumulating adouble-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.[79] However, Dunleavy would miss the game due to left knee soreness.[80] The game was televised on WGN and NBA TV.[81]
For the Bulls fourth preseason game, they played the Denver Nuggets athome on October 13. In the game, Chicago had trailed by as many as 21 points in the second quarter, but to come back to tie the game at the end of the half.[82] The Bulls would have their way in the second half, outscoring Denver 81–40.[82] With Butler scoring 21 points, the Bulls defeated the Nuggets in a 110–90blowout victory.[83] Dunleavy returned to play with Chicago after missing the previous game.[84] The game was broadcast on CSN Chicago.[85]
Chicago would start the second half of the preseason playing theAtlanta Hawks on October 16. The Bulls barely managed to defeat the Hawks by a score of 85–84 after Butler drained athree-pointbuzzer beater at the end of the game.[86] Dunleavy would miss his second preseason game after slipping on a wet spot at a practice session the day before.[87] Instead, McDermott would start for Dunleavy.[88] The game was televised locally on CSN Chicago.[89]
On October 19, the Bulls played theCharlotte Hornets in what would be Chicago's sixth preseason game. Despite a dangerous Hornets surge in the fourth quarter, the Bulls were successful in defeating Charlotte by a score of 101–96.[90] It was aired locally on WGN and nationally on NBA TV.[91] Following a slipping incident, Dunleavy would return to action once more.[92] However, Butler would sprain his left thumb in the game.[93]
The next day, Chicago met up with divisional opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who saw the return ofLeBron James, and would play at theSchottenstein Center inColumbus, Ohio.[94] Butler would sit out due to the injury that he sustained the day before.[95] Even though Rose scored 30 points, the Bulls were not able to defeat the Cavaliers, losing 98–107.[96] The game was broadcast locally on CSN Chicago and nationally on NBA TV.[97]
In its last preseason game, Chicago played the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 24 at theScottrade Center inSt. Louis, Missouri.[98] The Bulls would lose by a score of 112–113 after the Timberwolves came back from being down by 13 points.[99] Butler would miss his second game while recovering from his injury.[100] The game was televised locally on CSN Chicago.[101]
On October 8, Thibodeau gathered the players for a two-hour practice session on a day that was originally scheduled to be an off-day.[102] On the same day, Noah purchased a new home inLincoln Park.[103] Thibodeau allowed Rose to rest during an October 9 practice session, because he had lower body soreness.[104] The next day on October 10, Rose would return to practice.[105] Thibodeau said, "[Rose was] doing well."[106]
| Season | Record | Postseason | Seeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | 41–41 | First round | 8th |
| 2010–11 | 62–20 | Conference finals | 1st |
| 2011–12 | 50–16 | First round | 1st |
| 2012–13 | 45–37 | Conference semifinals | 5th |
| 2013–14 | 48–34 | First round | 4th |
The Cleveland Cavaliers, being named as a seriouschampionship contender, was said to be challenged by the Bulls.[107] The reason was due to the Bulls' depth, defense, the addition of Gasol, and a healthy Rose.[107] On October 1, Bleacher Report released an article stating that Rose and Butler were ranked number five as one of the bestbackcourts for the 2014–15 season.[108]
In a pre-training camp article from Bleacher Report, the Bulls were predicted to go 58–24 for the regular season.[109] Also before training camp, head coach Thibodeau was ranked number two in a Bleacher Report power ranking, being only behind Spurs head coachGregg Popovich.[110] In aUSA Today article on October 2, the Bulls were projected to go 57–25, which is one win less than the Bleacher Report prediction, and would place the Bulls as number six in their "NBA Watchability Rankings" list.[111] On the next day, a Bleacher Report article gave an 11/2 chance for the Bulls to win the NBA championship.[112]
On September 30,ESPN sportswriterBrian Windhorst cited several long-term problems with the Chicago Bulls with age and injury being a big issue.[113] However, he did say that the addition of Gasol and McDermott "[is] the perfect antidote for the Bulls' offensive woes[the previous] season."[113] Cody Westerlund, a sports editor forCBS Chicago.com, said that McDermott's playing time will be determined by his defense.[114]
The 13th annualgeneral managers' survey was released on October 22.[115] In the survey, the Bulls garnered 11.5% of the vote as being favored to win the NBA championship.[115] Meanwhile, Noah received 35.7% of the votes as the regular season's predictedDefensive Player of the Year.[115] McDermott was regarded by 14.3% of general managers as the biggest steal of the draft.[116] Thibodeau was voted by 92.9% of general managers as the coach with "the best defensive schemes."[116]
In their season opener on October 29, the Bulls defeated therivalNew York Knicks atMadison Square Garden.[119] Winning in a 104–80 blowout,Taj Gibson was the leading scorer with 22 points.[119] In Week 1 of Scott Howard-Cooper's "Rookie Ladder", Mirotić and McDermott were ranked numbers six and eight respectively.[120] On October 31, before theirHalloween game, the Bulls were unable to deal a new contract with Butler before the deadline, which would make him arestricted free agent during the 2015 off-season.[121] That night, Chicago's home opener would enterovertime, where the Bulls lost 108–114.[122] During the game, Gibson faced an injury scare, while Rose left the court in the fourth quarter due to asprained left ankle.[122][123] Entering November having split the first pair of games, Chicago played the Minnesota Timberwolves atTarget Center. After missing two weeks, Butler was expected to miss another two-to-four weeks,[124] but he returned to play against the Timberwolves.[125] In the last second of the game, the Bulls were down by one when Butler was fouled byAndrew Wiggins and made bothfree throws to take the lead and win by a score of 106–105.[126] At the end of the first week of the season, ESPN dropped the Bulls from number three to number five in the power rankings due to Rose's injury.[127]
On November 4, the Bulls took on the Orlando Magic. Even though Noah missed the game with anillness,[128] Chicago won 98–90 with Butler scoring 21 points.[129] In their fifth game of the regular season, the Bulls defeated the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center by a score of 95–86.[130] While Noah missed his second game, Rose returned from his ankle injury.[131] Rose's ankle injury would result in the cover of the November 5 edition of theChicago Sun-Times calling him "Damaged goods".[132] In the Week 2 version of the Rookie Ladder, Mirotić rose to the fifth rank while McDermott stayed at number eight.[133] On November 7, with Rose on the inactive list, Dunleavy would lead the way for the Bulls to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 118–115 at theWells Fargo Center.[134] The next day, Chicago was defeated for the second time in the season, against theBoston Celtics, 101–106.[135] In the ESPN power rankings, the Bulls fell to the number six rank.[136]
After facing difficulties with his ankles, Rose returned to action on November 10 and helped the Bulls defeat the Detroit Pistons by a score of 102–91.[137] In the Week 3 edition of the Rookie Ladder, McDermott fell to the number nine rank and Mirotić fell out altogether.[138] On November 13, Chicago defeated theToronto Raptors in theAir Canada Centre at the expense of Rose.[139] He would leave in the fourth quarter because of aninjured left hamstring.[140] In a postgame conference, Noah would defend Rose by saying "everybody needs to chill…out."[141] Gasol would also defend him, saying "Everyone has [Rose's] back."[142] On November 14, it was reported byCBS Sports that Rose suffered a mild strain and that anMRI was unnecessary, calling it a day-to-day injury.[143] TheBulls–Pacers rivalry would continue in Chicago's final home game of the month on November 15, as it was defeated by the injury-strickenIndiana Pacers, even though Butler scored a career-high 32 points.[144] Chicago would continue to fall in the power rankings, being ranked number seven.[145]
Chicago'scircus trip began on November 17. As put by theLos Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Clippers were "Bull-dozed" when Chicago won by a score of 105–89.[146] Gasol would not play due to a strained calf and Rose would continue to miss games because of his strained hamstring.[147][148] On Week 4 of the Rookie Ladder, McDermott rose to the number seven rank.[149] In the first game of a back-to-back, the Bulls would be dealt their first loss on theroad by the upstart Sacramento Kings on November 20.[150] The next day,Business Insider called Rose's contract with the Bulls "a nightmare" for the organization, mentioning that he had only played in five of the first 12 games of the season and that he's being paid the most money on the team.[151] On the second night of a back-to-back, the Bulls lost to thePortland Trail Blazers.[152] During the game, Dunleavy was called for aFlagrant I whenDamian Lillard was attempting to shoot a three-pointer,[153] which resulted in a skirmish and technical fouls being called on BlazerWesley Matthews and Brooks.[153] Furthermore, Gibson suffered a sprained ankle in the third quarter and did not come back to the court; Hinrich was out with achest contusion.[154][155] Due to Chicago's continuing struggles, the Bulls declined to the number nine rank of the power rankings.[156]
On November 24, the Bulls defeated theUtah Jazz.[157] In a report by CBS Sports, it was said that the Bulls were one of seven teams interested inshooting guardRay Allen, who averaged 9.6 points per game with theMiami Heat in the 2013–14 season.[158] After a returning Gasol made one-of-two free throws with 3.2 seconds left in the game,Gordon Hayward would miss a three pointer at the end of the game, giving the Bulls a 97–95 win.[157] Rose would also return for the Bulls, scoring 18 points in the game.[159] The next day, Chicago lost to the Denver Nuggets by a score of 109–114.[160] In the game, Hinrich would return from his chest injury to play.[161] Furthermore, Noah would join Gibson on the injured list as he sat out with a sore left knee and aneye abrasion.[162] In the first half, Rose would leave the game as issues with his left hamstring resurfaced.[163] On November 26, Mirotić would return to the Rookie Ladder on Week 5 being ranked number ten while McDermott dropped out.[164] AtTD Garden, the Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics behind Butler's 22 points, winning by a score of 109–102.[165] Besides Gibson who was still injured, Noah would return to play, accumulating 15 points and 14 rebounds.[166] On November 30, the Bulls would end its circus trip with a decisive 102–84 victory against theBrooklyn Nets.[167] Chicago would be led by Butler's 26 points and Gasol's 25 points.[167] The team would have its second winning record in its circus trip (4–3) since the retirement ofMichael Jordan.[168] With November closing, the Bulls rose by one rank to number eight in the power rankings.[168] Butler received recognition for his performance in October and November and was named theEastern Conference Player of the Month.[169]
In its second overtime game of the regular season, Chicago was defeated by the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 129–132.[170] Unable to play, McDermott would be out with a right knee injury.[171] However, the Bulls would make up for the loss by winning their league-high tenth road game against the Charlotte Hornets.[172] Six weeks in, Mirotić would rise to the eighth rank of the Rookie Ladder.[173] On December 6, Chicago was defeated by the strongGolden State Warriors, who won their twelfth-straight game.[174] With the first week of December completed, the Bulls would fall to the tenth rank of the power rankings.[175]
On December 10, the Bulls blew-out the Nets once again by defeating them 105–80.[176] Moving on through the season, Mirotić rose to the number six rank on the Rookie Ladder.[177] Led by Rose's 31 points, Chicago would defeat the Portland Trail Blazers to even and close the season series against each other.[178] In theAmerican Airlines Arena, the Bulls would limit theMiami Heat to 75 points as they defeated them.[179] At the end of the week, the Bulls would be ranked number seven in the power rankings.[180]
Starting off the third week of December inPhilips Arena, the Bulls would lose to the Atlanta Hawks.[181] In Week 8, Mirotić would continue to rise, being placed in the number four rank.[182] On December 18, Butler would best his career-high 32 points set the previous month by scoring 35 points in a victory against the New York Knicks.[183] The next day, Chicago would end theMemphis Grizzlies' six-game winning streak with Butler scoring his fourth 30-point game of the season.[184] In the power rankings, Chicago would stay put at number seven.[185]
In the fourth week of December, the Bulls would defeat the then-Eastern Conference leader, the Toronto Raptors, by a score of 129–120 at home.[186] The game featured a 49-point fourth quarter, which was the most points scored by the Bulls in their entire history.[186] On December 23 at theVerizon Center, the Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards 99–91.[187] In Week 9 of the Rookie Ladder, Mirotić improved to the third rank.[188] Playing onChristmas Day, the Bulls would blowout theLos Angeles Lakers, winning by 20 points and winning a season-high five consecutive games.[189] On December 27, led by a 33-point performance by Butler, Chicago defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 107–100.[190] For his performance between December 22 and 28, Jimmy Butler would be named as the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.[191] Because of their winning streak, the Bulls would rise all the way to number one in the Power Rankings.[192]
Chicago would continue its winning ways by narrowly defeating the Indiana Pacers on December 29.[193] After winning seven-straight games, the Bulls would fall asBrook Lopez scored a season-high 29 points for the Nets.[194] After the month of December came to a close, Mirotić was recognized for his performance and received the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month of December.[195]
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Kicking off the year of 2015, the Bulls would set a franchise record by blocking 18 shots against the Nuggets and eventually winning.[196] In the second game of the year, Gasol would lead the Bulls to an overtime victory against the Celtics with 29 points and 16 rebounds.[197] With the first week of 2015 over, Chicago would decline to number three in the power rankings.[198]
After amoment of silence forESPNsportscasterStuart Scott, who died on January 4 from cancer, the Bulls would defeat theHouston Rockets.[199] Then on January 7, the Bulls would be defeated by the Jazz after being held to a season-low point total with 28-of-84 (33.3 percent) shooting.[200] Chicago would lose back-to-back games for the first time since November 20–21, 2014, against the Wizards.[201] On January 10, the Bulls would defeat the Bucks after a big outing by Gasol that produced a career-high 46 points for the big man.[202] In the power rankings, Chicago would fall to number five.[203]
Despite a good performance, the Bulls would fall to the Magic 114–121.[204] Even though Rose would score 32 points, Chicago would continue to struggle after losing to the Wizards twice in five days.[205] With Noah out with a sprained ankle, the Bulls would defeat the Celtics on January 16 behind a Rose double double.[206] The next day, the Atlanta Hawks, who were on an eleven-game winning streak at the time, would defeat Chicago in the United Center for the first time since May 2, 2011.[207] Chicago's descent in the power rankings would continue as the team fell to number eleven.[208]
After losing to Atlanta, the Bulls would lose to divisional opponent Cavaliers on January 19.[209] Despite a rough stretch, the Bulls would blow out the defending championSan Antonio Spurs.[210] On January 23, the Bulls would top the otherTexan team in Dallas aided by the 40 points that the backcourt duo of Rose and Butler put up.[211] However, the Bulls would lose their next game to the Heat on Sunday.[212] Because Chicago defeated the Spurs, the Bulls rose to number nine in the power rankings.[213]
On January 27, the Bulls would miraculously defeat the Warriors with Rose's game-winningfield goal with seven seconds left in overtime.[214]
The Bulls would start March going up against the Clippers. Injury would strike again as Butler would sprain his elbow he would have an MRI revealing that Butler would miss 3–4 weeks. Despite Butlers injury there were positives as Nikola Mirotic would shine and score 29 points.
| 2014–15 game log Total: 50–32 (home: 27–14; road: 23–18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 1–1 (home: 0–1; road: 1–0)
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November: 10–5 (home: 2–2; road: 8–3)
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December: 11–4 (home: 6–3; road: 5–1)
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January: 8–9 (home: 5–5; road: 3–4)
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February: 7–3 (home: 5–1; road: 2–2)
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March: 8–7 (home: 6–2; road: 2–5)
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April: 5–3 (home: 3–0; road: 2–3)
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| 2014–15 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With the regular season over, the Bulls would be seeded #3 in theEastern Conference behind theAtlanta Hawks (#1) and theCleveland Cavaliers (#2).[215] The Bulls would havehome-court advantage in the First Round when playing the sixth-seededMilwaukee Bucks and would lose it when the Cavaliers (Chicago's Conference semifinals opponent) defeated the seventh-seededBoston Celtics.[215][216]
In the First Round, the Bulls would meet itsCentral Division opponent in theMilwaukee Bucks for the first time since the First Round of the1990 NBA Playoffs.[217] After injuring hisanterior cruciate ligament in the 2012 playoff opener against thePhiladelphia 76ers, Rose returned to play in his first playoff game since the injury to play the Bucks.[218] In the game, he would accumulate 23 points and seven assists.[218] The second game of the series would get physical as seven technical fouls were called and Bucks playerZaza Pachulia would be ejected.[219] Despite a poor outing from Rose, Butler would go off and score 31 points for the victory.[219] In what would be a crucial Game 3 for the Bucks, the Bulls would hold Milwaukee off in double overtime, which was spearheaded by Rose's 34 points.[220] After scoring playoff career-highs in Games 1 and 2, Butler would have another career-high of 33 points but the Bulls would lose Game 4 with a season-high 26turnovers.[221] In the closing seconds of the game, Rose would turn over the ball and, after atimeout for the Bucks,Jerryd Bayless would get away from Rose to execute a buzzer-beatinglayup, causing Chicago to lose 90–92.[221] They then dropped game 5 at home, cutting their lead to 3–2. But despite struggling in the previous two games, the Bulls would finish the series by pummeling the Bucks with a franchise record 54-pointblowout victory on the road, surpassing the previous record of 42 that was set inGame 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals against theUtah Jazz.[222] Just before Game 6, it was announced thatNikola Mirotić came in second place in voting for theNBA Rookie of the Year Award for 2014–15.[223]
After defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls would face another divisional rival, theCleveland Cavaliers, in what was regarded as a marquee match-up.[224] The last time the two teams had played each other was back in theFirst round of the2010 NBA Playoffs when the then-first seed Cavaliers would defeat the then-eighth seed Bulls four games to one.[225] For the Cavaliers, they would be playing withKevin Love out for the rest of the season andJ. R. Smith out for Games 1 and 2.[226] However, at this time for the Bulls, it was reported that there had been a long-standing feud between Bulls head coachTom Thibodeau and the organization's management.[227] Despite the dysfunction in the Bulls organization, the team itself would take Game 1 in a 99–92 victory after Rose who scored 23 points had an injury scare.[228] On May 6, it was reported thatJimmy Butler won theNBA Most Improved Player Award thus becoming the first Bull in franchise history to win it.[229] In Game 2, Chicago would be blown out by Cleveland and was dealt its first loss of the series.[230] Athalftime,Joakim Noah would shove a fan which led to a $25,000 fine.[231]
After splitting the first two games, the series would continue at theUnited Center for Game 3. Up until the third game, there were no lead changes because the Bulls always led in Game 1 and the Cavaliers always led in Game 2.[232] In an evenly matched game, the Bulls and Cavaliers both played with grit but the Bulls would pull through afterDerrick Rose shot a game-winningthree-pointbuzzer beater to win the game 99–96.[233] Aside from the fact that the shot was his second career buzzer beater, it was the first playoff buzzer beater for the team sinceMichael Jordan's buzzer beater inGame 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals and the team's last game-winning shot in the last ten seconds since Jordan's memorable championship-winning shot with 5.2 seconds remaining inGame 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.[234] During the game,Pau Gasol would be taken out because of a hamstring injury.[235]
On May 9, talk of the possibility of having two champions in the same city and season began.[236] TheChicago Blackhawks were en route to the Conference Final of the2015 Stanley Cup playoffs and the Bulls were up 2–1 in the conference semifinals against the Cavaliers.[236] The next day, Butler, whose contract would expire at the end of the season, would state that he planned to remain with the Bulls.[237] This was after rejecting a four-year, $42 million contract back in October 2014.[237] In Game 4, with the game tied 84 apiece,LeBron James would return the favor with a two-point buzzer beater, causing the Bulls to lose 84–86.[238]
| 2015 playoff game log Total: 6–6 (home: 3–3; road: 3–3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First Round: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
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Conference Semifinals: 2–4 (home: 1–2; road: 1–2)
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| 2015 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Bairstow | 5 | 5 | 26.2 | .531 | 1.000 | .727 | 7.0 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 10.2 |
| Billy Baron | 5 | 0 | 18.4 | .257 | .263 | .556 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 5.6 |
| Austin Freeman | 5 | 0 | 20.0 | .438 | .273 | .000 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 6.8 |
| Davante Gardner | 4 | 0 | 3.3 | .556 | .400 | .000 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Lazeric Jones | 5 | 5 | 21.8 | .514 | .667 | .800 | 2.4 | 4.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 10.8 |
| Doug McDermott | 4 | 4 | 28.8 | .442 | .444 | .957 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 18.0 |
| Brandon Paul | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chad Posthumus | 4 | 0 | 12.0 | .400 | .000 | .500 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 3.3 |
| Tony Snell | 5 | 5 | 30.2 | .466 | .500 | .833 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| Lance Thomas | 5 | 5 | 21.8 | .583 | .000 | .769 | 4.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 7.6 |
| David Wear | 5 | 0 | 14.6 | .556 | .600 | 1.000 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 4.8 |
| Kendall Williams | 5 | 1 | 12.0 | .231 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Totals | 5 | — | — | .453 | .423 | .785 | 33.6 | 15.8 | 7.0 | 2.8 | 87.2 |
Source:NBA.com
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Bairstow | .612 | .547 | 9.51 | 21.51 | 15.81 | 8.65 | 1.55 | 1.83 | 16.10 | 17.29 | 117.8 | 90.9 | 18.48 |
| Billy Baron | .359 | .329 | 2.70 | 18.31 | 10.90 | 19.99 | 3.29 | 0.00 | 9.31 | 21.21 | 86.3 | 89.6 | 11.22 |
| Austin Freeman | .524 | .531 | 2.49 | 13.51 | 8.27 | 6.57 | 2.02 | 0.80 | 8.47 | 16.14 | 103.3 | 93.6 | 13.97 |
| Davante Gardner | .636 | .667 | 19.08 | 37.30 | 28.30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.58 | 36.90 | 109.7 | 93.0 | 39.60 |
| Lazeric Jones | .619 | .568 | 4.55 | 8.23 | 6.48 | 36.56 | 2.31 | 0.73 | 13.83 | 21.06 | 127.7 | 94.7 | 26.93 |
| Doug McDermott | .678 | .581 | 0.00 | 14.75 | 8.31 | 15.22 | 0.00 | 2.04 | 18.43 | 25.87 | 118.1 | 94.1 | 24.33 |
| Brandon Paul | .000 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| Chad Posthumus | .409 | .400 | 12.71 | 12.42 | 12.57 | 3.08 | 1.04 | 1.65 | 27.42 | 20.61 | 74.5 | 96.7 | 3.59 |
| Tony Snell | .618 | .582 | 4.11 | 11.17 | 7.82 | 17.67 | 1.34 | 1.58 | 6.90 | 26.17 | 125.3 | 95.3 | 29.13 |
| Lance Thomas | .639 | .583 | 3.43 | 19.64 | 11.94 | 2.96 | 0.93 | 0.73 | 11.86 | 14.10 | 119.7 | 93.8 | 15.94 |
| David Wear | .651 | .639 | 5.14 | 10.84 | 8.13 | 2.25 | 2.78 | 1.10 | 9.78 | 12.80 | 122.5 | 92.6 | 16.21 |
| Kendall Williams | .360 | .308 | 0.00 | 11.27 | 5.92 | 9.55 | 4.22 | 0.00 | 17.77 | 12.82 | 74.8 | 90.0 | 5.62 |
| Totals | .577 | .532 | 22.36 | 74.16 | 49.56 | 52.67 | 8.83 | 5.58 | 14.09 | — | 110.6 | 93.1 | — |
Source:RealGM.com
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Bairstow | 2 | 0 | 7.0 | .000 | .000 | .250 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Aaron Brooks | 8 | 0 | 19.5 | .373 | .385 | 1.000 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 8.1 |
| Jimmy Butler | 6 | 6 | 25.9 | .588 | .200 | .791 | 4.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 15.8 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 6 | 6 | 24.5 | .425 | .440 | .929 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 9.7 |
| Kim English | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Pau Gasol | 8 | 8 | 27.5 | .403 | .667 | .815 | 8.3 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 10.8 |
| Taj Gibson | 8 | 1 | 26.4 | .478 | .000 | .737 | 6.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 11.8 |
| Ben Hansbrough | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 8 | 2 | 25.1 | .407 | .259 | .800 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 7.9 |
| Solomon Jones | 2 | 0 | 11.5 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Doug McDermott | 8 | 2 | 25.6 | .351 | .286 | .750 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| Nikola Mirotić | 8 | 0 | 16.6 | .364 | .350 | .692 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 6.0 |
| Nazr Mohammed | 1 | 0 | 11.3 | .000 | .000 | 1.000 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| E'Twaun Moore | 2 | 0 | 1.1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Joakim Noah | 7 | 7 | 23.6 | .438 | .000 | .706 | 8.3 | 3.9 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 5.7 |
| Derrick Rose | 8 | 8 | 21.9 | .484 | .433 | .844 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 16.5 |
| Tony Snell | 8 | 0 | 15.6 | .289 | .200 | .667 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4.4 |
Source:RealGM.com
| Player | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | ORtg | DRtg | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Bairstow | .181 | .000 | 0.00 | 31.52 | 16.87 | 20.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.88 | 73.1 | 101.0 | 3.01 |
| Aaron Brooks | .509 | .458 | 4.25 | 3.44 | 3.84 | 24.65 | 1.94 | 0.49 | 17.99 | 22.13 | 98.5 | 104.2 | 12.81 |
| Jimmy Butler | .679 | .598 | 9.46 | 10.09 | 9.79 | 19.62 | 3.24 | 3.02 | 11.40 | 22.91 | 131.9 | 93.2 | 33.42 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | .628 | .562 | 1.50 | 18.72 | 9.93 | 2.28 | 1.37 | 0.52 | 9.77 | 15.45 | 119.2 | 104.4 | 14.27 |
| Kim English | .000 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Pau Gasol | .484 | .416 | 6.02 | 26.33 | 16.32 | 14.14 | 0.46 | 6.65 | 21.26 | 22.74 | 88.5 | 96.2 | 15.38 |
| Taj Gibson | .548 | .478 | 8.88 | 16.26 | 12.62 | 6.24 | 2.15 | 3.28 | 12.28 | 20.52 | 108.3 | 98.0 | 19.66 |
| Ben Hansbrough | .000 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Kirk Hinrich | .497 | .466 | 0.55 | 5.36 | 2.99 | 22.88 | 1.26 | 0.38 | 9.94 | 15.59 | 106.4 | 105.3 | 11.57 |
| Solomon Jones | .333 | .333 | 9.62 | 10.42 | 10.00 | 7.87 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 57.14 | 13.72 | 47.1 | 101.6 | -9.78 |
| Doug McDermott | .488 | .421 | 2.70 | 17.82 | 10.36 | 9.94 | 0.49 | 0.38 | 12.89 | 16.80 | 97.8 | 103.3 | 10.71 |
| Nikola Mirotić | .483 | .443 | 5.01 | 9.74 | 7.41 | 6.68 | 4.58 | 3.50 | 19.44 | 20.70 | 86.3 | 94.3 | 11.29 |
| Nazr Mohammed | .258 | .000 | 11.74 | 9.79 | 10.68 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.83 | 79.6 | 111.9 | -0.17 |
| E'Twaun Moore | .000 | .000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 111.9 | 0.00 |
| Joakim Noah | .507 | .438 | 11.74 | 25.92 | 18.85 | 26.99 | 1.23 | 2.30 | 26.18 | 14.30 | 104.4 | 96.8 | 16.41 |
| Derrick Rose | .605 | .553 | 2.52 | 14.71 | 8.70 | 30.93 | 0.87 | 0.00 | 10.65 | 30.91 | 117.0 | 103.7 | 28.92 |
| Tony Snell | .367 | .344 | 3.53 | 13.75 | 8.71 | 6.86 | 0.81 | 0.00 | 11.19 | 19.04 | 77.2 | 104.0 | 3.92 |
Source:RealGM.com
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Brooks | 82 | 21 | 23.0 | .421 | .387 | .833 | 2.0 | 3.2 | .7 | .2 | 11.6 |
| Nikola Mirotić | 82 | 3 | 20.2 | .405 | .316 | .803 | 4.9 | 1.2 | .7 | .7 | 10.2 |
| Pau Gasol | 78 | 78 | 34.4 | .494 | .462 | .803 | 11.8 | 2.7 | .3 | 1.9 | 18.5 |
| Tony Snell | 72 | 22 | 19.6 | .429 | .371 | .800 | 2.4 | .9 | .4 | .2 | 6.0 |
| Joakim Noah | 67 | 67 | 30.6 | .445 | .000 | .603 | 9.6 | 4.7 | .7 | 1.1 | 7.2 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 66 | 22 | 24.4 | .373 | .345 | .700 | 1.8 | 2.2 | .7 | .2 | 5.7 |
| Jimmy Butler | 65 | 65 | 38.7 | .462 | .378 | .834 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.8 | .6 | 20.0 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 63 | 63 | 29.2 | .435 | .407 | .805 | 3.9 | 1.8 | .6 | .3 | 9.4 |
| Taj Gibson | 62 | 17 | 27.3 | .502 | .717 | 6.4 | 1.1 | .6 | 1.2 | 10.3 | |
| E'Twaun Moore | 56 | 0 | 9.0 | .446 | .342 | .600 | .8 | .6 | .4 | .1 | 2.7 |
| Derrick Rose | 51 | 51 | 30.0 | .405 | .280 | .813 | 3.2 | 4.9 | .7 | .3 | 17.7 |
| Doug McDermott | 36 | 0 | 8.9 | .402 | .317 | .667 | 1.2 | .2 | .1 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Nazr Mohammed | 23 | 0 | 5.6 | .433 | .333 | 1.7 | .1 | .2 | .2 | 1.2 | |
| Cameron Bairstow | 18 | 1 | 3.6 | .214 | .800 | .4 | .1 | .1 | .1 | .6 |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Butler | 12 | 12 | 42.2 | .441 | .389 | .819 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | .8 | 22.9 |
| Derrick Rose | 12 | 12 | 37.8 | .396 | .348 | .897 | 4.8 | 6.5 | 1.2 | .5 | 20.3 |
| Joakim Noah | 12 | 12 | 32.9 | .408 | .350 | 11.0 | 3.2 | .8 | 1.2 | 5.8 | |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 12 | 12 | 32.4 | .489 | .482 | .947 | 4.0 | 2.6 | .8 | .4 | 10.9 |
| Taj Gibson | 12 | 2 | 23.0 | .472 | .700 | 5.5 | 1.0 | .3 | 1.0 | 7.4 | |
| Aaron Brooks | 12 | 0 | 11.0 | .344 | .308 | .571 | 1.5 | .9 | .3 | .1 | 4.5 |
| Nikola Mirotić | 11 | 0 | 14.9 | .303 | .233 | .800 | 2.7 | .8 | .5 | .5 | 5.7 |
| Tony Snell | 11 | 0 | 12.7 | .341 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.5 | .5 | .0 | .3 | 3.9 |
| Pau Gasol | 10 | 10 | 31.7 | .487 | .000 | .762 | 9.4 | 3.1 | .5 | 2.1 | 14.4 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 10 | 0 | 12.6 | .474 | .600 | .667 | .5 | 1.1 | .3 | .1 | 2.6 |
| Nazr Mohammed | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .286 | .000 | 1.7 | .0 | .0 | .3 | 1.3 | |
| Doug McDermott | 3 | 0 | 3.3 | .333 | .500 | 1.000 | .7 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| E'Twaun Moore | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | .333 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .0 | .7 | .0 | 1.7 |
| Individual | Technicals | Flagrant I | Flagrant II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preseason | Regular season | Preseason | Regular season | Preseason | Regular season | |
| Aaron Brooks | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Butler | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joakim Noah | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Thibodeau | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| Preseason | Months | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | November | December | January | February | March | April | |||
| Points | 30 | 22 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Rebounds | 17 | 13 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Assists | 9 | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Steals | 4 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Turnovers | 7 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Blocks | 4 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Three pointers | 4 | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Free throws | 12 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | TBD |
| Player | Duration | Part of season | Reason | Game(s) missed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | October 11, 2014 | October 11, 2014 | Preseason | Left knee soreness | 1 |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | October 16, 2014 | October 16, 2014 | Preseason | Left knee injury | 1 |
| Jimmy Butler | October 20, 2014 | October 31, 2014 | Pre-, regular season | Sprained left thumb | 4 |
| Taj Gibson | November 1, 2014 | November 1, 2014 | Regular season | Sprained left ankle | 1 |
| Joakim Noah | November 4, 2014 | November 5, 2014 | Regular season | Illness | 2 |
| Derrick Rose | November 7, 2014 | November 9, 2014 | Regular season | Sprained left ankle | 2 |
| Cameron Bairstow | November 10, 2014 | November 15, 2014 | Regular season | Unknown | 2 |
| Derrick Rose | November 15, 2014 | November 24, 2014 | Regular season | Strained hamstring | 4 |
| Pau Gasol | November 17, 2014 | November 24, 2014 | Regular season | Strained calf | 3 |
| Kirk Hinrich | November 21, 2014 | November 24, 2014 | Regular season | Chest contusion | 2 |
| Taj Gibson | November 24, 2014 | — | Regular season | Sprained ankle | 6 |
| Joakim Noah | November 25, 2014 | November 28, 2014 | Regular season | Sore left knee and an eye abrasion | 1 |
| Doug McDermott | December 2, 2014 | — | Regular season | Right knee injury | 2 |
| Derrick Rose | February 24, 2015 | April 8, 2015 | Regular season | Torn meniscus right knee | 20 |
| Legend | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Free agent | Player option | Team option | Early termination option |
| Former players* | |||
| Player | Salary | Signed using | Guaranteed | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | |||
| Derrick Rose | $18,862,875 | $20,093,063 | $21,323,250 | Bird rights | $60,279,188 | |
| Joakim Noah | $12,200,000 | $13,400,000 | Bird rights | $25,600,000 | ||
| Taj Gibson | $8,000,000 | $8,500,000 | $8,950,000 | Bird rights | $25,450,000 | |
| Pau Gasol | $7,128,000 | $7,448,760 | $7,769,520 | Cap space | $14,576,760 | |
| Nikola Mirotić | $5,305,000 | $5,543,725 | $5,782,450 | Cap space | $16,631,175 | |
| Mike Dunleavy Jr. | $3,326,235 | Mini MLE | $3,326,235 | |||
| Kirk Hinrich | $2,730,000 | $2,870,000 | Room exception | $2,730,000 | ||
| Doug McDermott | $2,277,960 | $2,380,440 | $2,483,040 | $3,294,994 | First-round pick | $4,658,400 |
| Jimmy Butler | $2,008,748 | First-round pick | $2,008,748 | |||
| Tony Snell | $1,472,400 | $1,535,880 | $2,368,327 | First-round pick | $1,472,400 | |
| Aaron Brooks | $1,145,685 | Minimum salary | $1,145,685 | |||
| Nazr Mohammed | $1,448,490 | Minimum salary | $1,448,490 | |||
| E'Twaun Moore | $948,163 | $1,015,421 | Minimum salary | $425,000 | ||
| Cameron Bairstow | $507,336 | $845,059 | $980,431 | Cap space | $932,336 | |
| Carlos Boozer* | $13,550,000 | |||||
| Richard Hamilton* | $333,333 | $333,333 | $666,666 | |||
Source:Basketball-Reference (through Wayback Machine)
After theIowa Energy entered a single-affiliation partnership with theMemphis Grizzlies on May 6, 2014,[239] the Bulls would be affiliated with theFort Wayne Mad Ants starting in the2014–15 NBA Development League season.[240]
