The 2010 offseason was pivotal for a lot of teams with that year’s free agent class teeming with franchise-altering superstars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire, many teams were hoping to make a splash and elevate their status in the league.
The Chicago Bulls were no exception.
After finishing the previous season with a 41-41 record and losing in the first round of the playoffs, it was clear that changes needed to be made for the Bulls to become a championship contender once again. But as they pined for either Bron, Wade or Bosh to come to Chi-Town, that obviously never happened as the trio all got together in South Beach to play for the Miami Heat.
The Bulls’ brain trust immediately pivoted to Plan B, which was Carlos Boozer, whom they signed to a five-year, $72 million deal.
But with all eyes on the All-Star big man, disaster struck as he broke his hand before the season tipped off, leading him to miss their first 15 games. And when he returned, Booz struggled to find his place in the Bulls’ offense, which revolved around the talents of their explosive point guard, Derrick Rose.
A different look
Boozer averaged 17.5 points on 51 percent shooting and 9.6 rebounds for the Bulls that season, which were solid numbers at the power forward spot. However, it was a far cry from his career averages with the Utah Jazz, where he averaged 19.3 points and 10.5 boards a game. Boozer explained that while many fans got on him for what they believed was a down year, it was primarily because the Bulls played a different style from what he was used to in Utah.
“It really wasn’t a down year. It was different,” Boozer deduced. “You’ve got to think, in Utah, my point guard was Deron Williams, who was averaging 11, 12 assists. He was a pass-first point guard. Going to Chicago, I had a scoring point guard who was averaging 25, 30 points a game. Some games, he was doing more than that.”
D-Rose averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 assists that season, leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record, good for the best in the league. He would later be named the MVP, becoming the youngest ever in history to win the league’s most prestigious individual honor.
“So you’ve got to understand, when you’re playing with a scorer at your point guard position, that’s like playing with Allen Iverson. You’ve got to play off him,” Booz added. “Most of the plays were for him. Ninety-five percent of the plays were for him and the other five percent ended up in his hands anyway. He was just that good.”
Bulls teammates defended Boozer
Despite the criticism from fans, Boozer’s teammates had nothing but praise for him, admiring the professionalism he brought to the team. Whether he had a good game or not, whether he played plenty of minutes or not, Boozer was always there to support his teammates and contribute in any way he could.
“I think he really stuck with it. He was very positive,” Ronnie Brewer stated. “When Taj came in the game and played well, he was so supportive of Taj. He was happy that Taj was doing well. When Joakim came in and was playing well, he was so excited for Joakim and was excited that he played well.”
John Paxson, the team’s executive vice president for basketball operations, added that while Boozer was always known for his offensive contributions, he bought into Tom Thibodeau’s defense-first approach and helped spark their transition attack with his defensive rebounding.
“Tom got him to compete on the defensive end. Carlos was a really good defensive rebounder who could help start our break and he had a little bit of a mid-range game that you could play through,” Paxson noted. “So he really helped us. He was a big part of that team that went to the conference finals.”
Boozer had solid but not sensational numbers for the Bulls that season, but at times, he felt like the forgotten soldier. However, the ones who knew him best, his teammates and coaches, recognized his value to the team.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.