MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Guard Derrick Rose was probably even better than advertised. The No. 1 draft pick was a runaway winner for NBA Rookie of the Year and handled the pressure of playing in his hometown with ease. After averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 assists during the regular season, Rose scored 36 points in his playoff debut at Boston, matching a rookie record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Forward Luol Deng was given a six-year, $71 million contract last summer, then had another disappointing, injury-marred season. His statistics (14.1 points, 6.0 rebounds) dropped for the second straight year, and he was sidelined for the last two months because of a stress fracture in his right tibia. The Bulls have to be wondering if Deng will ever return to the form he showed in the 2007 playoffs. FREE AGENT FOCUS: Most of the attention will be focused on G Ben Gordon, an unrestricted free agent. The team's leading scorer for four years running may have limited options, since few teams will have cap room this summer. The Bulls would like to re-sign him, but might have to exceed the luxury-tax threshold in order to do so. The other free agents on the roster are all reserves -- G Lindsey Hunter, C Aaron Gray, F Linton Johnson and G Anthony Roberson. The Bulls appreciated Hunter's leadership and would like to bring him back.
PLAYER NEWS:
--G Ben Gordon denied any knowledge of free-agent interest from the Detroit Pistons. Teams are not supposed to make any offers until 12:01 a.m. on July 1, so it would be a violation of league rules if Gordon did receive any sort of promise from the Pistons, which was suggested in an unlikely Internet rumor.
--F Luol Deng was honored June 19 at the Midwest Light of Human Rights Awards in Chicago. He received an award for dedication to human rights through his charitable foundation, which provides aid to Sudanese refugees in the U.S. and Africa.
--G Lindsey Hunter has been a frequent visitor to the Berto Center early in the summer. The Bulls are interested in bringing back the veteran guard as a part-time player or perhaps as a coach.
