Ben Gordon is best known for his all or nothing style of play..

It seems to be a year of first’s for the Chicago Bulls this season as Number 1 draft pick Derrick Rose, and first year head coach Vinny Del Negro look to spearhead the Bulls to a first place finish in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference after a less than stellar 33-49 showing last year.

Del Negro, a veteran of the hardwood for 12 seasons is making his coaching debut in the Windy City after inheriting the role from Scottie Skiles after the team won only 33 games, and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The unfortunate saying “one step forward, two steps back” was never so evident after the Bulls came off of a 49-win season and the team’s first playoff series win in over a decade.

 Coming on the heels of last year’s dismal showing, the Bulls orchestrated a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Seattle Supersonics (OKC Thunder), and Del Negro’s Bulls; sending Ben Wallace and Joe Smith to the Cavs, while bringing 6’5” guard Larry Hughes and 6’10” forward Drew Gooden back into the fold.

Del Negro inherits a team that is best suited for an up-tempo style of play with Kirk Hinrich, Hughes, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and hometown fan favorite Rose leading the charge for a revamped Bulls squad that is optimistic of a playoff return.

After signing a lengthy contract extension in the off-season Deng is one of the more underrated players in the NBA, and is solid at both ends of the floor despite slipping a bit last season. Deng's numbers went from 18.8 points per game to 17.0, and his rebounds dropped from 7.1 per game to 6.3 which accounts for what some called “a lack of effort” that somehow rubbed off on the entire team.

Besides being a quality rebounder (13.3 rpg), Gooden’s quickness and agility make him a tough defender capable of scoring (18.7 ppg) inside or from within 15-feet, making the six-year veteran difficult to defend. Gooden's work ethic has been questioned at times but his offensive consistency and mid-range jumper have improved over the years.

Florida Gators standout, 6’11” center Joakim Noah, has what it takes in this league to be an elite shot blocker, but little else. His wingspan and athletic ability enable him to wreak havoc at times, and he loves to run the floor but needs to desperately polish his offensive skills (15.3 ppg) if he wants to be a serious threat in the NBA.

Hinrich is a solid force at the point, but will have to share time with Rose, the rookie from Memphis. Some experts have touted Rose as the second coming of LeBron James with his impressive physique and work ethic. The only thorn in Rose’s game is a lack of an outside jumper that may make him a more one-dimensional player, while Hinrich is a rock solid ball handler but can be easily rattled on the defensive side of the ball.

Ten-year veteran Hughes (6’5”) returns to Chicago bringing with him the makings of a solid NBA player at both ends of the court. His only drawbacks are inconsistency on offense (19.7 ppg), and his size, which hampers his rebounding ability (5.5 rpg). Despite the loss of Chris Duhon to the Knicks via free agency, the Bulls still are loaded in the backcourt. Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, and Thabo Sefolosha all spent significant time in the starting lineup last season.

Eventually, Rose will play the majority of the minutes at point guard, but the Bulls plan to bring the rookie along slowly. If Rose proves worthy of a larger role by the midpoint of the season, expect GM John Paxson to deal either Gordon or Hinrich, because they would have more trade value than Hughes.

The Bulls will be able to sport impressive depth in the backcourt and on the wings. The sharp-shooting Gordon and Rose will give Del Negro a ton of offensive firepower off the bench, while Sefolosha has the ability to be a shutdown defender and Andres Nocioni is solid if unspectacular backup.

After re-signing a one year offer as a restricted free agent, Ben Gordon, who led the Bulls in scoring with 28.0 ppg, is as sporadic as they come; either taking the Bulls by the horns and heating up the brisk Chicago night from three point range, or he can be as cold as the chill blowing off of Lake Michigan in the dead of winter. Gordon is best noted for his all or nothing style of play on the court.

Andres Nocioni again will be the sixth man, playing both forward positions. Backup center Aaron Gray provides size off the bench and will be counted on to match up against the league’s bigger centers. Nocioni was the only Chicago player to play in all 82 games last season, averaging 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.