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Chicago Bulls
Overall: 97
Title track: 60
Ownership: 108
Coaching: 120
Players: 80
Fan relations: 84
Affordability: 93
Stadium experience: 77
Bang for the buck: 91
Change from last year: -31
The Bulls were one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA last season, given the expectations they had coming into the year, so their slide in the overall standings (down 31 spots, near the triple digits) should come as no surprise. Bulls management believed this team could be a title contender, but a combination of injuries and disappointing play was too much for new coach Fred Hoiberg to overcome in a rocky first season.
What's good
When the fans are actually into the game, few arenas in basketball can get as loud and be as passionate as the United Center. A stadium experience ranking of 77th, though still in the bottom half of all teams, is one of the Bulls' highest rankings (their best comes in title track, though that's likely more to do with past success than future optimism). Last year, the team made a larger push to include more local vendors in their game-night experience, giving fans more options to eat from well-known Chicago eateries. This season, the focus is on cocktails, with local bars bringing their most popular options to the arena.
What's bad
A large portion of the Bulls' fan base was upset after former head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired last summer and replaced by then-ISU coach Hoiberg (coaching dropped 85 places to 96th last year, then bottomed out at 120 this year). The Bulls' front office sold Hoiberg as an offensive guru players would enjoy playing for -- particularly after listening to Thibodeau bark orders for five years. Unfortunately for the Bulls, that was not the case. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, and Hoiberg never found his footing within the locker room.
What's new
After years of hoping Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah would lead the team to a title, Bulls management decided to move on from both players last summer. Chicago dealt Rose to the New York Knicks, then watched Noah follow him. In their place, the front office landed veterans Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo to play alongside Jimmy Butler. Signing Wade and Rondo was an acknowledgement by the organization that it did not want to go through a full-scale rebuild. Whether that was the right move -- fans are certainly still unsure, dropping the players ranking 51 spots to 80th overall -- remains to be seen. The Bulls hope the new vets can help a young group of players, led by Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott, improve in their third seasons.
Next: Denver Nuggets | Full rankings