the bulls need an inside presence (i.e. Amare, Brand) before they can be a "real" contender. When Ben Gordon is # 1 option in terms of being a matchwinner you will have problems come playoff time.
Deng and Hinrich are very solid players, tyrus thomas has lots of potential, and role players such as nocioni, duhon, etc. are all excellent pieces to build a great team but lack of inside presence will hurt them.