Chicago Bulls (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
In order to make the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls will need a vintage campaign from Al-Farouq Aminu next season.
The team is approaching one of the most important offseasons in the history of the franchise. Drafting Michael Jordan in 1984, acquiring both Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant on the same day in 1987 and drafting Derrick Rose in 2008 will always be the best decisions the team has ever made. However, the team is now in a unique position to regain relevance after a prolonged period of obscurity.
Al-Farouq Aminu was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline last season, and he wants redemption.
Last fall, the Bulls made the right decision in bringing in veteran head coach Billy Donovan to patrol the sidelines. They also made a better-than-expected lottery selection by taking Patrick Williams out of Florida State in the draft. Then, at the trade deadline, they made the blockbuster move of sending Wendell Carter to the Orlando Magic in exchange for All-Star center Nikola Vučević.
All of these moves were praised by fans and members of the media alike, and rightfully so. However, there was one move that flew under the radar. As part of the deadline trade with Orlando, the Bulls also acquired the services of veteran forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
While pairing Vučević with Zach LaVine is a great idea, the Bulls will also need their role players to perform well in order to make the playoffs. Aminu is a veteran whose leadership on and off the court could do wonders for the team. Let’s take a closer look at the things he must do next season in order to help Chicago return to postseason play.
Bulls made the right decision in bringing in veteran head coach Billy Donovan to patrol the sidelines. They also made a better-than-expected lottery selection by taking Patrick Williams out of Florida State in the draft. Then, at the trade deadline, they made the blockbuster move of sending Wendell Carter to the Orlando Magic in exchange for All-Star center Nikola Vučević.</p>
<p>All of these moves were praised by fans and members of the media alike, and rightfully so. However, there was one move that flew under the radar. As part of the deadline trade with Orlando, the Bulls also acquired the services of veteran forward Al-Farouq Aminu.</p>
<p>While <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"http://hoopshabit.com/2021/03/26/chicago-bulls-nikola-vucevic-trade-2/">pairing Vučević with Zach LaVine is a great idea</a>, the Bulls will also need their role players to perform well in order to make the playoffs. Aminu is a veteran whose leadership on and off the court could do wonders for the team. Let’s take a closer look at the things he must do next season in order to help Chicago return to postseason play.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Stay healthy </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-431926" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1164965410.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1164965410.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1164965410-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Chicago Bulls (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Chicago Bulls goals for Al-Farouq Aminu: 1. Stay healthy</h2>
<p>Former New York Giants head coach, Bill Parcells, once said: “The best ability is availability.” Throughout the history of sports, iron men like Cal Ripken Jr. and AC Green have been celebrated for their active streaks. Avoiding serious injury and having the ability to play through minor injuries can often be the difference between winning and losing.</p>
<p>In November of 2019, Al-Farouq Aminu suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee. The doctors were unsure of how long he would be out; the initial prognosis projected he would be able to return to action during the season. However, as time lingered on, Aminu eventually opted to have surgery. Eventually, he was cleared to play. He took the floor for the first time in a contest in February of 2021, more than a year after the injury.</p>
<p>While Aminu was able to return to action before the Bulls acquired him at the trade deadline, it was clear he’d lost some of the explosiveness that made him a key part of the Portland Trailblazers’ rotation once upon a time. This upcoming offseason will be the first time in almost two years that Aminu has a chance to work on his game with a fully healthy body. Chicago is hoping that the 6’8″ combo-forward can return to form. If so, he gives the team an experienced veteran with a physique similar to up-and-coming prospect Patrick Williams. Coach Donovan would love to have a guy who can push one of his future cornerstones every day in practice. If healthy, Aminu can do just that.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Look for his own shot </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-376576" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1184111102.jpeg" alt="Chicago Bulls" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1184111102.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1184111102-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chicago Bulls (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Chicago Bulls goals for Al-Farouq Aminu: 2. Look for his own shot</h2>
<p>During the 1998 season, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Del Harris had a problem most coaches would welcome; he had too much talent. That season, the team sent four players to the All-Star game, one of whom wasn’t even in the team’s starting lineup during the regular season.</p>
<p>Out of his four All-Stars, the player who undoubtedly gave Coach Harris the most headaches was <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/v/vanexni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Nick Van Exel</a>. However, no matter how much the papers reported the two of them had another argument in the locker room, Van Exel remained the team’s starting point guard. The reason was simple, “Nick the Quick” could get buckets.</p>
<p>It just goes to show that coaches will find playing time for guys who have a knack for putting the ball in the basket. In the 2016 season, Al-Farouq Aminu not only played in all 82 games for the Portland Trailblazers, but he also averaged 10.2 points per game. Any coach would take double-digit scoring from a guy for whom he never had to draw up a play. With his combination of all-out hustle and high basketball IQ, Aminu found a way to help his team on the offensive side of the ball. The Chicago Bulls are hoping he can duplicate that this upcoming season.</p>
<p>After the trade deadline, Aminu only appeared in six games for the Bulls. However, the 1.5 points per game he averaged during those contests are not going to be enough to keep him on the court next year. With a surgically repaired knee and full confidence in his body, fans in the Windy City are hoping Aminu looks for his own shot again and provides the scoring punch he gave his team in the past.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Crash the boards </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-431925" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1165162129.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1165162129.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1165162129-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Chicago Bulls (Photo by Wang He/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Chicago Bulls goals for Al-Farouq Aminu: 3. Crash the boards</h2>
<p>In May it was announced that Detroit Pistons legend, Ben Wallace, had been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Many people wondered how a guy who averaged 5.7 points per game for his career could be elected to the hall of fame. The answer is simple Wallace led the league in rebounding in 2002 and 2003 and consistently changed the game through rebounding and defense.</p>
<p>While it is highly unlikely that Al-Farouq Aminu will lead the league in rebounding or win the Defensive Player of the Year award, he has proven to be an above-average rebounder in years past. The majority of players who average double-digit rebounds play either the power forward or the center position. However, as a player who spent most of his time as a small forward, Aminu averaged over seven rebounds per game in 2017, 2018 and 2019 (7.4, 7.6 and 7.5). These numbers are not eye-popping but it is definitely the kind of production that will keep a player on the court. Last season, in six appearances for the Chicago Bulls, Aminu averaged 3.2 rebounds per game. If he wants to make his presence felt, he will have to get a lot closer to his former rebounding prowess.</p>
<p>Everyone in Chicago is excited to see how Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević perform when given a full season to gel. Coby White is improving every season and Patrick Williams appears to have been a good first-round selection. Now, the team needs the rest of its veteran roster to step up and fill in the gaps if they are going to make the playoffs. Al-Farouq Aminu has proven he has the ability to make a solid contribution to a winning team before. Fans in the Windy City are hoping he will prove it again.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA: Playing smoke or fire with superstar trades" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/05/nba-smoke-fire-superstar-trade-rumors/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/07/chicago-bulls-3-goals-aminu/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/05/nba-smoke-fire-superstar-trade-rumors/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA: Playing smoke or fire with superstar trades </a> </div>
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