Chicago Bulls By Rob Peterson, NBA.com HEAD COACH Bill Cartwright, (Second year) 2001-02 RESULTS 21-61 (15th in East) SEASON OUTLOOK: Youthful optimism reigns in Chicago this season for two reasons. One, they have plenty of youth with six players who are 22 years old or younger. And two, this year's No. 2 overall draft pick, Jay Williams, is the reason, and source, of that optimism. "We're going to win a lot more games than people think," Williams told the Chicago Tribune. "I hear about 25 wins, 30 wins. But a lot has to do with a team's determination. The best team doesn't always win the game. It's the team that is the hungriest, the team that does the little things, works hard. We have guys like that. We may surprise some people." Williams knows of what he speaks. In his three years at Duke, the Blue Devils went 95-13 and won an NCAA title in 2001. Yet another reason for the optimism is Jalen Rose. Rose, who was acquired from the Pacers in the middle of last season and went to the 2000 NBA Finals with Indiana, should provide veteran leadership and will be the first offensive option. Rose averaged 23.8 points in games for Chicago last season. Still, many of the Bulls will continue to learn on the job. Second year post players Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler had their moments, both good and bad, last season. Power forward Marcus Fizer had his best season and was the only other Bull to average in double figures with 12.3 points per game. It will be a surprise if the Bulls win more than 30 games because they are so young, including at point guard where Williams and Jamal Crawford will share time. There's also the question of whether Williams can handle the 82-game NBA grind. VIDEO FLASHBACK: GREAT CALL OF 2001-02 Jalen Rose game-winner: "Rose spinning, pulls up the jumper ... Yes! Bulls win this one!" 1323k avi | QuickTime WHO'S IN: Williams may be the highest profile addition to this year's Bulls squad, but free agent addition Donyell Marshall is coming off one of his better seasons and should add some veteran leadership to the young front court. Marshall had 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Jazz last year, second only to Karl Malone in both categories. WHO'S OUT: Point guard Travis Best took his seven years of NBA experience and 9.3 points per game to Miami in the offseason, while A.J. Guyton signed a free-agent contract with the Lakers. BENCH: This all depends on who will start. So, coach Bill Cartwright, who will be on the floor? "The best players will start,'' Cartwright told the Chicago Sun Times. "It's as simple as that. Nobody on this team is assured of any starting position. What that means, then, is that we will have a very interesting training camp. Everybody will be fighting for positions.'' Chandler could provide defensive depth in the post while Eddie Robinson, who played in only 29 games last season, was brought in during the previous offseason to provide some offensive punch. His health, however, is always a question. THE BULLS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : Everything goes right and several teams fall off in the East. THE BULLS MISS THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : This team is still a couple of years away from the postseason.		The Bulls hope Jay Williams can point them toward the postseason for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images P R O J E C T E D   S T A R T E R S POS PLAYER SCHOOL YRS PG Jamal Crawford Michigan 2 SG Jalen Rose Michigan 8 SF Donyell Marshall Connecticut 8 PF Marcus Fizer Iowa State 2 C Eddy Curry Thornwood H.S. 1 S C O U T ' S   T A K E “The first thing you think about Chicago is their youth and how they blend the lineup that's on the floor. ... They're excited about Jay Williams, and his ability to make an immediate impact will be the question. He's quick, he's strong and he has the ability to get to where he wants to go on the floor, but he'll have to figure out the NBA game and the NBA life and the length of the season. He'll experience some highs and lows. ... Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler will be improved and the Bulls may throw a scare into some teams, but they're going to struggle for wins because of their youth. ... Jalen Rose needs to play a big role to show the young guys the way. He can play several positions, including the big 6-9 point and he can swing out to the wing and hurt you. What you need to watch is if he'll have patience with that younger lineup and if his experience will rub off. ... The one thing you need to watch with the Bulls is they're always ready so you should be prepared to play hard.” -- Eastern Conference assistant coach 2 0 0 1 - 0 2   L E A D E R S PPG Jalen Rose 23.8 RPG Brad Miller 8.4 APG Greg Anthony 5.6 SPG Ron Artest 2.78 BPG Tyson Chandler 1.31 G A M E S   T O   W A T C H 12/12 Detroit 7:30 ET, TNT 1/2 Washington 7:30 ET, TNT 2/19 Philadelphia 9:30 ET, ESPN2 2/26 Toronto 9 ET, ESPN F A N T A S Y   S L E E P E R Tyson Chandler - Forward Chandler, who averaged 6.1 points and 4.8 boards in 71 games, could double those numbers if he starts and stays out of foul trouble. Plus, Chandler helps on the defensive end, as he led the Bulls with 1.31 blocks per game. T H E   S T A T 66 Number of games the Bulls have won since the 1998-99 season.
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