Time For The Bulls To Look Ahead?

With Derrick Rose out for six-to-nine months, the Bulls have to think about a temporary fix at point guard

As unfortunate as it may seem, a seventh NBA Championship most likely won't be coming to the Windy City this season. Derrick Rose was the Bulls best chance to accomplish the ultimate goal, but that chance was lost in the final minute of Game 1 last Saturday.

Now Bulls management must look at what they can do to remain competitive until D. Rose returns. The front office has a lot of decisions to make once Chicago's season is over with the biggest and most obvious question being: what to do at the point guard spot?

CJ Watson has played admirably this season when Derrick was out, and even though Watson has 59 starts under his belt between the Golden State Warriors and the Bulls, he's a backup. Chicago must bring in a veteran NBA starter who can hold down the fort until Rose returns.

Fortunately, the free agent class of 2013 is strong at the point guard position and there are a number of good players the team could potentially go after. Here's a (realistic) look at some of the players who might be willing to serve as a temp until Derrick is ready to take over the reins once again:

Steve Nash – It's unlikely that Nash will wear a Phoenix Suns uniform next season. The 16-year NBA veteran is coming off another solid season where he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists, proving that at 38 years old, he can still play. He'd be a great mentor for Rose in terms of helping him learn the point guard position in the NBA.

Jason Kidd – Kidd, like Nash is an unrestricted free agent and is coming off winning an NBA Championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 as their starting point guard. If he does choose to play another season, it would be his 20th in the NBA. Not exactly a spring chicken. But Rose would be able to learn from the best in Kidd – just like Nash – about the nuances of the point guard position, especially if he's unable to rely as heavily as he once did on his athleticism post-surgery like Kidd after undergoing a microfracture procedure in 2004.

Kirk Hinrich - The sentimental favorite here. It was difficult for Bulls management to trade Hinrich to Washington after the 2010 season, but it was a business decision, not personal. If Kirk is willing to come back to Chicago, the Bulls would surely take him. Especially now.

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