The release of Michael Ruffin is supposed to be an indication of how talented the Bulls roster has become. If the Bulls can post a 20-victory season, they'll have proof.
A year ago, Ruffin was the starting center on opening night, even though he is a 6-foot-8 power forward. Last season, Ruffin was the Bulls' third-leading rebounder at 5.8 per game and coach Tim Floyd called him the best defender.
Now, Ruffin is looking for a new team. Faced with an abundance of players at power forward and center, the Bulls released Ruffin on Thursday, dropping the roster size to 16. One more player must go before Monday.
"This was a very hard thing for me to do," said general manager Jerry Krause. "It's very tough when you draft a youngster, he works his butt off, does everything you ask, but you don't have room for him. He's an NBA player and we got caught in a numbers situation. A year ago, we wouldn't have had these tough decisions."