2002–03 Chicago Bulls season
NBA professional basketball team season
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The 2002–03 Chicago Bulls season was the 37th season for the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association.[1] The Bulls received the second overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, and selected point guard Jay Williams out of Duke University.[2][3][4] During the off-season, the team signed free agents Donyell Marshall, and former Bulls forward Corie Blount.[5]
| 2002–03 Chicago Bulls season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bill Cartwright |
| General manager | Jerry Krause |
| Owners | Jerry Reinsdorf |
| Arena | United Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 30–52 (.366) |
| Place | Division: 6th (Central) Conference: 12th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Net Chicago, WGN, WCIU |
| Radio | WMVP |
With the addition of Williams and Marshall, the Bulls got off to a 4–6 start to the regular season, but then posted a 9-game losing streak between November and December. However, the team won six of their next eight games, and later on held a 17–32 record at the All-Star break.[6] The Bulls posted an 8-game losing streak between January and February, but won four of their final six games of the season, finishing in sixth place in the Central Division with a 30–52 record, and missing the NBA playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. The team posted a 27–14 home record at the United Center, but struggled posting a franchise worst road record at 3–38 during the regular season.[7]
Jalen Rose averaged 22.1 points and 4.8 assists per game, and led the Bulls with 133 three-point field goals, while Marshall averaged 13.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, and Marcus Fizer provided the team with 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. In addition, Jamal Crawford contributed 10.7 points and 4.2 assists per game, while second-year center Eddy Curry provided with 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and Williams contributed 9.5 points and 4.7 assists per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Meanwhile, second-year center Tyson Chandler averaged 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, Eddie Robinson contributed 5.7 points per game, second-round draft pick Lonny Baxter provided with 4.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, second-year guard Trenton Hassell contributed 4.2 points per game, and Blount averaged 3.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.[8]
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Williams and Chandler were both selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as Williams was a member of the Rookies team, while Chandler was a member of the Sophomores team.[9][10] The Bulls finished fifth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 804,309 at the United Center during the regular season.[8][11]
Following the season, Williams suffered a career-ending motorcycle accident after only one season with the Bulls, while Hassell and Fred Hoiberg both signed as free agents with the Minnesota Timberwolves. (See 2002–03 Chicago Bulls season#Regular season)
NBA draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Jay Williams | PG |  United States |
Duke |
| 2 | 31 | Roger Mason, Jr. | SG | United States |
Virginia |
| 2 | 44 | Lonny Baxter | PF | United States |
Maryland |
Roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Regular season
The Bulls entered the 2002-03 NBA season with an eager sense of anticipation on what the prior year’s moves would become.
Jalen Rose was expected to have a big year in his first full season with the club. The addition of Jay Williams, selected by the Bulls with the second overall pick in 2002 NBA draft, was expected to provide the team with an extra scoring punch. Plus, the team’s two young big men, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, each had a year of pro experience.
General Manager Jerry Krause had what many considered at the time to be a very successful offseason. Besides Williams, the Bulls also added Roger Mason, Jr. and Lonny Baxter via the draft. Veteran forward Donyell Marshall—signed with the team’s mid-level exception—brought size and versatility to the team, and the shape of a solid squad was beginning to form.
In the end, though, having Rose, Marshall and an abundance of talented youth did not equate to winning games. After starting the season 2–0 for the first time since the 1996–97 campaign, Chicago garnered a franchise-worst 3–38 road record. The Bulls held a 19–game road losing streak from 11/02/02–01/18/03 and the team’s 30–52 record qualified it for a fifth–consecutive NBA Draft Lottery appearance.
The franchise was ready to head in a new direction and the beginning of that movement started with the resignation of long–time executive Jerry Krause on April 7. Krause, then 64, played a major role in building Bulls World Championship teams and was a two–time NBA Executive of the Year.
“Jerry Krause is one of a kind,” Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf stated. “He brought with him a vision of how to build a champion and he proceeded to create one of the most dominant champions of all time. No basketball fan in America can begin to imagine the World Champion Chicago Bulls without his imprint.”
One week later, the Bulls named John Paxson EVP of Basketball Operations. Paxson had spent the previous seven seasons as a color analyst on both the Bulls Radio and TV networks, providing expert analysis to the broadcasts. He spent one season (1995–96) as Assistant Coach, helping the Bulls to a then NBA-record 72–10 record and the 1996 NBA Finals.
“I am really excited to accept this challenge and look forward to working with the basketball operations staff,” said Paxson. “The Bulls organization has meant a lot to me over the years, and getting the chance to help lead the team back to the upper echelon of the NBA is a true honor.”
Other Notes: Jay Williams authored his first career triple–double, recording season highs of 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists in 45 minutes versus New Jersey (11/9) ... Marcus Fizer suffered a torn ACL at Portland on 01/31/03 and was forced to miss the final 36 games of the season ... Chicago appeared in a franchise-record nine overtime games (1–8).
Honors: Tyson Chandler (sophomore team) participated in the Schick Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend ... Jay Williams was named the NBA’s “got milk?” Rookie of the Month for December ... Williams (freshman team) also participated in the Schick Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend and was named to the got milk? NBA All–Rookie Second Team ... Eddy Curry led the league in field goal percentage with .585 shooting from the floor ... the Bulls drew an average of 19,617 fans through 41 home games (fifth in the NBA in attendance) and had 20 home crowds of 20,000+ (14–6 record), including 12 sellouts.
Season standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | .610 | – | 30–11 | 20–21 | 19–9 |
| x-Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 | 32–9 | 16–25 | 19–9 |
| x-New Orleans Hornets | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3 | 29–12 | 18–23 | 17–11 |
| x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 8 | 25–16 | 17–24 | 16–12 |
| e-Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 47 | .427 | 15 | 26–15 | 9–32 | 14–14 |
| e-Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | .366 | 20 | 27–14 | 3–38 | 12–16 |
| e-Toronto Raptors | 24 | 58 | .293 | 26 | 15–26 | 9–32 | 10–18 |
| e-Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 65 | .207 | 33 | 14–27 | 3–38 | 5–23 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | .610 | – |
| 2 | y-New Jersey Nets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 |
| 5 | x-New Orleans Hornets | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3 |
| 6 | x-Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6 |
| 7 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 8 |
| 8 | x-Orlando Magic | 42 | 40 | .512 | 8 |
| 9 | e-New York Knicks | 37 | 45 | .451 | 13 |
| 10 | e-Washington Wizards | 37 | 45 | .451 | 13 |
| 11 | e-Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 47 | .427 | 15 |
| 12 | e-Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | .366 | 20 |
| 13 | e-Miami Heat | 25 | 57 | .305 | 25 |
| 14 | e-Toronto Raptors | 24 | 58 | .293 | 26 |
| 15 | e-Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 65 | .207 | 33 |
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalibor Bagarić | 10 | 0 | 7.6 | .308 | .750 | 2.0 | .4 | .3 | .3 | 1.9 | |
| Lonny Baxter | 55 | 0 | 12.4 | .466 | .000 | .680 | 3.0 | .3 | .2 | .4 | 4.8 |
| Corie Blount | 50 | 3 | 16.7 | .485 | .571 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .7 | .4 | 3.0 | |
| Rick Brunson | 17 | 0 | 11.5 | .460 | .667 | .833 | 1.1 | 2.1 | .6 | .2 | 3.5 |
| Tyson Chandler | 75 | 68 | 24.4 | .531 | .608 | 6.9 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.4 | 9.2 | |
| Jamal Crawford | 80 | 31 | 24.9 | .413 | .355 | .806 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.7 |
| Eddy Curry | 81 | 48 | 19.4 | .585 | .624 | 4.4 | .5 | .2 | .8 | 10.5 | |
| Marcus Fizer | 38 | 0 | 21.3 | .465 | .167 | .657 | 5.7 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 11.7 |
| Trenton Hassell | 82 | 53 | 24.4 | .367 | .325 | .745 | 3.1 | 1.8 | .5 | .7 | 4.2 |
| Fred Hoiberg | 63 | 0 | 12.4 | .389 | .238 | .820 | 2.2 | 1.1 | .6 | .1 | 2.3 |
| Donyell Marshall | 78 | 53 | 30.5 | .459 | .379 | .756 | 9.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 13.4 |
| Roger Mason Jr. | 17 | 0 | 6.6 | .355 | .333 | 1.000 | .7 | .7 | .2 | .0 | 1.8 |
| Eddie Robinson | 64 | 18 | 21.2 | .492 | .214 | .810 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .2 | 5.7 |
| Jalen Rose | 82 | 82 | 40.9 | .406 | .370 | .854 | 4.3 | 4.8 | .9 | .3 | 22.1 |
| Jay Williams | 75 | 54 | 26.1 | .399 | .322 | .640 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 1.1 | .2 | 9.5 |
Player statistics citation:[8]
Awards and records
- Jay Williams, NBA All-Rookie Team 2nd Team