Bulls and Celtics – Who has the Brighter Future?

The Chicago Bulls surpassed just about everyone’s expectations in taking the Boston Celtics to seven extremely hard-fought games.

But do the Bulls really have a brighter future than the Celtics, and are they poised to become a real contender in the East?

Most fans seem to think yes, and that the Bulls are about to follow the path all young up-and-coming teams do on their way to the NBA Wagering Finals. It usually begins with a close loss to a veteran team that might not be that much more talented but might have had a lot more experience. The Celtics fit that profile, but let’s not forget that they were missing Kevin Garnett.

Garnett’s impact on the game comes in subtle ways but even at 80% health or so he is still one of the top 10 players in the game.

The Bulls have a lot of decisions to make going into the 2009 off-season and the Ben Gordon quandary is the most pressing by far. He turned down a 5-year offer of about $10 million per season and wants more, or he might walk as a free agent.

Gordon was the closer for the Bulls down the stretch but Derrick Rose is the unquestioned leader and he’s capable of taking over games late as well. Plus, John Salmons has emerged at shooting guard and can play some extra minutes to compensate for the loss of Gordon.

The big question is this: does Gordon plus a healthy Luol Deng next year (also a question considering a return from a fractured tibia) make the Bulls a title contender in the next couple years?

It could be a costly proposition because the Bulls will likely have to go over the dreaded luxury tax threshold in order to sign Gordon. The Bulls might also try and swing a trade with Gordon as well.

Considering that the Bulls sold a lot of tickets late in the year and live in a big money town that got behind the team like they hadn’t done since the Jordan years, they might decide to stick with Gordon. But even if Deng comes back, it will take some time for the team to gel into a true contender.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will bring back the same core and Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Garnett, and Allen are all premium players at their respective positions. Rondo is evolving into a point guard in the second tier behind Rose in terms of overall talent just outside the elite level.

Garnett can still be effective even if he’s limited by knee injuries. The Celtics might be able to tweak things by adding a discount free agent who wants to join a contender.

So while Chicago will be an Eastern Conference title contender soon, the Celtics are still a better bet to have the best 2009-2010 season.

But be patient, Chicago fans, and Rose just might pull something special off in the near future.