The Chicago Bulls have Something to Say

By: Stephen Garner

The Chicago Bulls are enjoying successes that most of the masses did not see coming.

Coming into the season, they ranked 29th in John Schuhmann of ESPNs annual continuity ranks.

They returned seven players, just 43% of last season’s minutes (only outdone by the Lakers, who returned three), and we’re strongly criticized for where their money went (mainly to DeRozan) and we’re deemed “high-end play-in/non-homecourt playoff realm” as a team in most preseason ranks.

FiveThirtyEight had the Bulls projected to win just 38 games to start the season, and gave them a 36% chance of making the playoffs.

Coming into this week, they’re now expected to win 51 games and have a 97% chance of making the playoffs.

They sit atop the Eastern Conference, a solid two games ahead of the 2nd place Brooklyn Nets (whom the Bulls have the season series lead against).

They are 13-4 at home, indicative of the “Madhouse on Madison” top-end home-court advantage that has resurfaced and they put on a show while there, making for the league’s most entertaining team.

There’s a level of showmanship on this team due to their compilation of athletic exuberance and prolific pace (in the talents of LaVine, DeRozan, Ball, Caruso, White, Green, Jones Jr, and Dosunmu).

That dynamic is both balanced out and coupled by a few hard-hat and blue-collar guys in Caruso, Ball, Green (!!!), Dosunmu, Jones Jr, and Brown Jr.

They exude a comradery that shows there’s genuine relationships that exist interpersonally amongst them, and it shows in those unplanned moments both on the floor and in pressers.

They’re locked in to have multiple all-stars for the first time since 2015-2016 (Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol).

All add to the thoughts that this team is in for a special season.

On the floor

Here’s the paper trail of their off-season acquisitions:

Excluding the resigning of Javonte Green, the Bulls added 10 new players to the roster in the off-season.

Those players, mainly the core three in DeRozan, Ball, and Caruso, have helped change the complete outlook of this team, and have molded this team into a bidding contender.

DeRozan has been a godsend (and then some..) in a career season thus far.

The addition of Lonzo Ball has gone according to schedule from both my assessment before last season’s deadline and my thoughts as he was finally acquired.

Lonzo Ball's back for the Bulls tonight.

In the 5 game window leading up to his stint in H&SP, he was averaging:

18.4 PPG (44.9/40.4/78.6), 5.2 APG, 5.6 RPG, 2 SPG, 1.4 BPG

On the season, he's 1 of just 14 players (& the only guard) in the league averaging 1+ SPG & 1+ BPG pic.twitter.com/lo50e0HqPE

— Stephen PridGeon (@StayTrueSDot3) January 3, 2022

Caruso has been All-NBA-worthy defensively in tandem with Ball and has helped to establish a balanced identity for the Bulls.

These two make for one of the league-best defensive tandems, and one of the most versatile as well as both are very effective in roles at the point of attack, wing stoppers, as chasers, and playing center field as a helper.

As well as rookie Ayo Dosunmu, these three absolutely wreak havoc on primary ball handlers making for 48 minutes of near 90-foot pressure, forcing teams to start their offensive sets under 16 seconds into the shot clock.

In tandem with the Bulls 10th ranked defense (108.6 PPG), is their ability to force teams out of their initial sets with enough consistency.

This is key as their struggles come typically earlier in the shot clock via their transition defense or early shot clock defense. At times they have lapses in teams initial actions, but the later they get into the clock, the higher their uptick in forced turnovers grows.

This is where they feast in transition with Lonzo’s signature hit-ahead passes to their multitude of athletes who all finish well (and with flair) at the rim.

They’re second in points per transition opportunity per 100 possessions on the 13th best frequency but are first in points off steals.

Premier Scoring Tandem

LaVine and DeRozan have been the NBAs best scoring tandem by far, averaging a combined 53.2 PPG on efficient shooting numbers.

Both have been extremely effective scoring in the clutch (the last 5 minutes of games where the score is within 5 points):

• DeRozan is 7th in scoring per clutch moments (4.0 points on 56.8/100/87.5 shooting) including the season’s two biggest moments on back-to-back nights via road game-winners.

• LaVine is 8th (3.9 points on 51.3/41.7/95.5) and has been as prolific a shot creater as there’s been in the league off the dribble.

The rest of the main rotation

Nikola Vucevic (who I wrote about two weeks ago) and Coby White have both shaken off their early-season rust, a result of Covid issues and meshing with a new roster, and have begun to show their worth. 

Vucevic’s first 14 games: 

13.4 PPG (40/26/61), 11 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1 BPG

Vucevic’s last 14 games: 

18.4 PPG (45/41.5/75), 12.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 BPG

Coby White in 8 games since returning from Health and Safety Protocols:

Key in the Bulls 8-game winstreak

Coby White's averaging 16 PPG on 47.3/43.4/81.0 shooting in 8 games since returning from H&SP

His 10-point 4th last night made for his 2nd double-digit final period & 3rd time leading them in 4th quarter scoring as well in this stretch pic.twitter.com/4vwviAR5pi

— Stephen PridGeon (@StayTrueSDot3) January 4, 2022

As they retain guys from their Covid stints, they have also lost one of their growing important pieces.

They’ll be missing a key cog that had firmly planted himself as the complimentary fifth starter in forward, Javonte Green for two to four weeks with a groin injury.

He’s been a revelation that had allowed them to play near positionless basketball amongst the starters, as he brought ferocity and frenetic energy that permeated through both that group and the rest of the roster, all while doing so as a power forward in a 6’4 frame.

He’s been the unsung insertion but will come back with, hopefully, the entire roster intact to make yet another push.

In an addition by subtraction style timing, Caruso should be returning relatively soon as he ramps up from his left foot sprain. 

The overall energy of this team has fans engaged and it is loud again at the UC. As games grow more meaningful expect for this team to continue ascending and earning more national media attention.

They should keep this seemingly concerted effort in attaining the 1-seed, as the favorites in Brooklyn and the defending champions in Milwaukee still lay in the weeds. As well as the quietly and yet-to-be full intact Miami Heat.

Attaining the 1-seed means avoiding one of the former two I mentioned, which is the preferred route of course.

Much remains to be seen and determined in regards to if this team can beat either of these three in seven, but as it stands the Bulls are in an absolute great space as they continue proving their worth.

They’re amidst an almost four-day break in play and return on Friday to host the Wizards.

The Bulls are BACK!

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