As Bulls fans, one thing that we have failed to see in pretty much any year in the post-Jordan era (now 9 seasons), is the Bulls starting off with a good November. A lot of blame is put on the seemingly annual tough west coast trip, or just the team needing time to gel together with new teammates, and even the circus itself. 

This November, however, there is a new sense of urgency, as the Bulls players are really fighting to remain Bulls players.  If Paxson sees his team faltering out of the gates, what is to stop him from pulling the trigger on a Kobe deal that makes sense for the Lakers? If the Bulls cannot gel together, maybe Pax figures we would be better off with a superstar.  And this year we have no excuses.  The core of the team has been together a long time now.  Sure there are new pieces in Noah, Gray, and Smith,  but really the Bulls have a solid group of guys who know each other by now.  And the schedule, less a trip to Phoenix on November 15th, lends a favorable hand as being a not as tough as usual trip.  There is no Texas triangle to face the likes of San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston in back to back to back games.  The onus is on the Bulls to start off strong this year.

This Orange County Register article suggests that while a Kobe trade is not likely before the season starts, it could easily happen sometime in December.  Nocioni cannot be traded until December 15th, and he would likely be a part of any trade talks with the Lakers, since Deng is reportedly off limits.

The article reads, "There is no urgency to trade Bryant now. The team can sift through potential offers and move him before the February trading deadline, if the Lakers aren’t in serious playoff contention at the time, or it can wait until after the season. The team certainly can’t wait any longer than that and risk losing him to free agency without any compensation.  And if the Bulls are the most logical suitor and all indications are that Bryant would love to play in Chicago, where Michael Jordan became a star a deal could happen by December."

So, perhaps the Bulls are waiting to see how good this team can be, and now is the time to prove it.