Not expected to be so high: Bulls
The setbacks, to two title contenders in the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors, and another against the Boston Celtics, who are still figuring out whether their stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can coexist together.
Still, the Bulls still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference at 27-14, a half-game ahead of the Nets, who suffered a major blow this week with the injury to Kevin Durant.
What have been the factors in Chicago’s resurgence? Let’s take a look.
Their mid-range game
First, without offseason acquisitions, there is no resurgence. DeMar DeRozan has complemented perfectly with a Zach LaVine that was crying out for help during previous ‘losing’ seasons.
It all started with last season’s trade for then Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, and continued a few months ago with the arrivals of DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
The Bulls, ironically, have the best three-point percentage this season (38.6%), when they mainly attack you -deadly- from mid-range (18 attempts per game).
To give you an idea of the marked improvement this tournament, last season, Chicago shot just 42% from mid-range, on 11.7 attempts per game.
The difference has been the arrival of DeRozan, whose former team (the Spurs) attempted the most mid-range shots per game in 2020-21, at 18.1.
The Bulls also boast the third-best shooting average from the field (47.5%) and four in free throws (81.1%).
The LaVine Factor
Since we’ve said it all about DeRozan, let’s talk a little about LaVine.
The stellar shooting guard, who participated with Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics, is posting 24.9 points with 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season. He also has notable averages in three-pointers (41.2%) and field goals (49.1%).
If he raises these records a bit, he will become the only player to average at least 25 PPJ and three three-pointers per game in each of the last three seasons. Damian Lillard is the only other player to have accomplished this feat.
For the first time we are seeing a LaVine, rather than flashes of superstardom, as a winning player. A piece that can build a team with championship aspirations. And that’s the Bulls, who haven’t finished in first place in the East since 2011-12, when they had ‘peak’ Derrick Rose.
LaVine and DeRozan combine to form one of the most feared duos in the NBA, averaging 50.6 points per game between them. Only the duo of Michael Jordan (37.1) and Charles Oakley (14.5) in 1986-87 recorded more points (51.6) in franchise history.
Vucevic, Lonzo… Caruso
Meanwhile, Vucevic has improved tremendously, particularly since mid-December, when the team started on what would result in a streak of nine consecutive wins.
In the last month he averaged 18.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and a 49.5% FG.
Lonzo, meanwhile, has become a threat from three-point range, scoring 3.1 per game this season. His 42.3% from three-point range is the best of his career. He’s no longer just seen as a playmaker. He is much more.
Meanwhile, this week they will be counting on the return of Caruso who, before getting injured and entering safety protocols, was the NBA’s all-time steals leader.
The Bulls are in line for a trade, preferably a defensive big man, to be able to compete for a ticket to the Finals in the East. The Milwaukee Bucks and Nets remain favorites, with the Miami Heat looking to make a run.
Meanwhile, Billy Donovan’s team will be looking to get out of their slump this Monday against the team of the moment in the NBA: the Memphis Grizzlies, led by Ja Morant.
Chicago hasn’t celebrated this much since Michael Jordan’s docuseries ‘The Last Dance’.
