I spend enough time rummaging through the sports sites to know that everybody agrees that the Bulls need a low post scorer. While I don't completely disagree, I think that they need to broaden thier thoughts some. Stating the same old low post scorer bit is getting old, everbody has been saying since they got rid of Eddy Curry. What the Bulls really need is someone that can be a dynamic, consistent FINISHER. Being a finisher does not mean that you are a post player. It means that when you get into the paint, you will score seven out of ten times. How you got to the paint doesn't matter, its just that you get there. Getting into the paint gives you several things. One, the chance at a reasonably easy shot. Two, the chance to get fouled and sent to the free throw line. Those two things are what the Bulls lack. They do not have a finisher on the team. To prove my point lets look at some of the most important players on the Bulls roster.

Kirk Hinrich- 6'3" 192lbs Point Guard

Kirk is a better than average athlete, if he wasn't he wouldn't be able to play defense on larger players like he does. The problem is that he is more shooter than scorer. He is not creative enough to do damage inside. He is tough to be sure, but he doesn't scare you like a scorer should. He primary weapon inside is floater, a very tough shot to hit. He is not tall enough and can't jump high enough to shoot over people in traffic. Kirk get most of his point off jump shots starting at about 17 feet and out.  That also happens to be why he is so streaky, he can't get an easy bucket.

Ben Gordon 6'3" 205lbs Shooting Guard

Ben has almost everything that you want in a finisher. He has a beautiful jump shot, he is creative, athletic with a thick build, and he has no conscious. Even better, when you see a Ben Gordon shot go up, you just assume that its going in. That fact puts fear in the opposing players. He is the problem, he is 6'3", maybe. If he was a legit 6'5" or 6'6", then the Bulls would have no problems. Even though he is athletic, he does not have the jaw dropping athleticism needed to negate that. If he played more like Nocioni, it would be a moot point. They call him Gentle Ben for a reason. Ben reminds me of Allan Houston. Picture perfect jumper, creative to the basket, but it you bump him you will throw him off his game.

Loul Deng 6'9" 220lbs Small Forward

Loul is great at what he does best. Work off screens for midrange jumpers, open lanes to the basket and alley-oops. His jumper is automatic with good form and a high release, he is very long and athletic and fearless. The problem is that he just creative enough. Loul is the type of player that lives off of others. If the defense focuses on him he will struggle. Just look at what is happening this year so far. Because Kirk and Ben are struggling, teams don't have to guard them as tight. Then they focus their attention on Lu.

Tyrus Thomas 6'9" 215lbs Power Forward

I still don't understand why everybody is so high on Tyrus. Yes he has superhero-like athleticism and a high motor, but he just doesn't have much offensive talent. Every time he drives to the paint I'm surprised that he doesn't get an offensive foul. He just puts his head down and runs as fast as he can. He has exactly two moves. Jump as high as he can, or a slow spin move. I will concede that his jump shot looks better than last year, but there's a reason that they are uncontested. I may have a cynical view of Tyrus because I still think that the Bulls should have kept LaMarcus Aldridge, who by the way is averaging 18ppg and 7rpg.

Thabo Sefalosha 6'5" 215lbs Shooting Guard

I only mention Thabo to point out that Ronnie Brewer, who went right after Thabo in the draft, is starting for the Jazz and averaging 13ppg and 2.63(!!!)steals. (As you can tell I don't think much of last years draft class.)

Everyone on the Bulls roster has one or more flaws keeping them from becoming what the need. The Bulls don't need Garnett of Gasol. They don't even need Kobe. All they need is someone who can finish plays, a go to scorer. He doesn't even need to be a hall of fame type player. Several people point out the Pistons as being the only team to win a title without a transcendent talent. But they have one thing that Bulls don't, Mr. Big Shot. Chauncy Billups may never make it into the Hall of Fame, but he is exactly the type of player that the Bulls need. He is a calming influence, someone you can count on to get a bucket or create an easy shot for a teammate when the team needs it the most. A LEADER. The Bulls have a roster full of complimentary players, some better than others. The following is a list of players that would make the Bulls TRUE title contenders:

Chauncy Billups

Jason Kidd

Michael Redd

Ray Allen

This is not to say that those player's teams would trade them to the Bulls. I am also not saying that the Bulls should run out and try to get them. I am only pointing out that those are the type of players that would put the Bulls over the edge. Each one of those players would fit in with the Bulls schemes and be the type of player that the Bulls need WITHOUT being a post player.  These players are unselfish, yet selfish enough to know when they need to score to win or get the team out of a funk. Just being on the court makes their respective teams play better.

This brings me to another Bulls subject. On another sports site that will go unnamed, but rhymes with ESPN, a columnist wrote that the Bulls struggles were perplexing. They are not so perplexing to me. Now that I am not in the Middle East dodging mortars, I have been able to watch several of the Bulls games. I believe that I know what the problem is. Or should I say problems, as in two of them. One will repair itself while the other may not. Problem one, Ben Gordon is doing exactly what he did last year and every other year he has been in the league. He is off to another slow start. Ben had similar numbers this time last year, to include the horrid shooting percentage. Ben will come around like he always does, he just needs one or two huge games wake him up. Problem two, Kirk Hinrich. Kirk is playing like a scared rookie. All of his early season problems, turnovers, over-dribbling, un-Kirk like defense and poor decisions, stem from his shooting. The worst thing about Kirk is his confidence. When he loses confidence in his shot, he tries too hard to compensate in other areas. This leads to over-dribbling and trying to create plays that are not there. This also forces him to play harder(not smarter) on defense and get cheap fouls. As much as people compare him to Skiles and Paxson, he is not as tough minded as they were. Skiles was unflappable, you couldn't do anything to make him sweat. He was just tough as nails and would stand up to anybody. Michael Jordan trusted Paxson to no end, enough said. The rest of the teams struggles all point to these two problems. Lu plays off of other players, so he relies on ball movement. Kirk's beating of the basketball stops ball movement dead in its tracks. Lu also plays better when the defense is giving someone else more attention. Hello Ben Gordon's slow start. Defense's know that right now Lu is the main threat. Chris Duhon's shooting percentage is always low, plus he gets in month long (or longer) slumps, so he is actually playing like himself. Everyone else on the team relies one someone to create a shot for them of relies on spacing to find lanes to the basket. With no one shooting very well, opposing defenses sit in a compact zone and ride out the brick fest. The zone also prevents penetration, negating the drive and kick game.

The big one right now is getting Ben Gordon back on track. If Ben starts hitting, then that will relieve the pressure on Kirk so he can fight out of his slump. That in turn will get the Bulls rolling again. Only one problem after that, the East is MUCH stronger than last year. That will make it hard for the Bulls to gain any ground on the leaders. Leaving them as the odd men out come playoff time.