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Ask Sam | Sam Smith opens his mailbag | 10.03.2014

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

By Sam Smith | 10.03.2014 | 9:30 a.m. CT | asksam@bulls.com | @SamSmithHoops

Thibs’ attitude towards the rotation worries me a bit. I simply don't understand why he doesn't feel inclined to have a competent full second unit when we have so much depth off the bench: Brooks, Hinrich, Snell, Mirotic and Gibson would be a dynamic bench mob off the bench and has three solid defenders. We also have McDermott and Moore and well as Nazr so Thibs really has no reason not to be able to have a complete second unit. Gasol doesn't need more than 30 minutes a night.

Sundeep Shah

These are exciting times for us! Let's help coach decide his rotations so we can win it all! Rose, Butler, Dunleavy, Gasol, Noah, Hinrich, and Gibson are locks. I predict Brooks and Mirotic get the bulk of the remaining minutes. That leaves Snell and McDermott to duke it out over garbage time. Mohammed is a good midseason ails & injuries replacement.

Matt Mikulice

With the Bulls as deep as they are, where does that leave big man Cameron Bairstow? After viewing his scouting reel I noticed he plays the same kind of aggressive basketball as Noah does with the ability to shoot the three. I know the team is flush with big men but his kind of aggressive play seem right up Thibs wheelhouse.

Cody Evans

We know from the past four years that Tom Thibodeau is one of the best, if not the best, at coaching defense in the NBA. But how good is the Bulls coaching staff on offense? Obviously, having good offense players such as Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol (and maybe even Doug McDermott) should make the offense better. But are the offensive fundamentals as well coached as well as the defensive ones? It seems like we force a lot of long twos while on defense but then end up taking a lot of bad shots ourselves.

Kevin Verre

Josh Smith small forward? That was the dumbest thing, I've ever seen last season for that team. Guy's a power forward, not a small forward, (would love to see him going up against Gasol though).

Kieron Smith

What’s the Bulls cap situation both this year and long-term? I think the Lu trade last year pushed them under the cap but were they over it the previous year? If they’re over it again this year, is there a worse penalty? I’m asking because I saw a “rumor” (probably more like one person’s suggestion) of a trade with the Wolves that would send them Snell and Dunleavy and bring back Kevin Martin to make room for their new franchise player in Andrew Wiggins. The article indicated the Wolves would do this deal in a second because they owe Martin $21 million over the next 3 years but since it would add more salary for the Bulls, they wouldn’t go for it especially given that Jimmy may sign an extension this month and Joakim’s contract is done after 2016.

Marc Brauer

Avery Johnson just said on TV that he puts the Heat in the 2nd position in the Eastern Conf. ranks behind Cleveland. Do you think the Bulls have too much size for the Heat to overcome? The Heat have McRoberts and Deng now - and some say Wade will be a new player (without LeBron to defer to) but Bosh will be anchoring a frontline that would have to handle the Bull's Gasol, Noah, Gibson not to mention whatever Mirotic can bring.

Long Giang Le