As the NBA season draws near, everyone is excited to see how the Chicago Bulls will fare now that Derrick Rose is back in the fold. Scottie Pippen, a Bulls legend and Hall of Famer, is one of the people excited about the team’s outlook for the 2013-14 season and thinks Chicago can again be one of the NBA’s elite teams.
“I think going forward we really have a great opportunity to put ourselves among the elite teams in the game,” Pippen said in a recent interview with CSN Chicago. “With the emergence of Jimmy Butler—I’ve seen him in the gym this summer—I know that kid is really preparing himself to be a better player.
“I don’t have to say anything about our veterans like Luol [Deng] and [Carlos] Boozer. I know those guys are going to show up in shape ready to go. We all know Derrick spent a lot of time working and trying to get himself back at a high level. If we can stay healthy, we’re going to be an exciting team to watch this season.”
As for the free agent addition of Mike Dunleavy – a move this writer isn’t exactly high on – Pippen thinks he can help the team as well this season.
“I think Mike Dunleavy was definitely a great pickup. He’s a kid that I’ve been able to watch grow up in my years out in Portland. I know he’s a gym rat. And he’s definitely going to put in his time and do a great job for us this season.”