Not every NBA team has a player with a realistic shot at challenging for some of the most prestigious league wide awards. This especially applies to the MVP award, as there are only really 10-15 players across the league who truly have a shot. That leaves a fair amount of teams on the outside looking in. The Chicago Bulls certainly appear to be one of them. As far as awards like Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player are concerned, the threshold for entry is certainly lower, but still far from a guarantee to have a realistic candidate on every NBA roster.
Within every NBA team however, an MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, and Most Improved Player can be found regardless of how the team fares in the standings. Below is a list predicting who those three players will be for the 2024-2025 Bulls.
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Predicting NBA Awards for 2024-2025 Chicago Bulls
Sixth Man of the Year: Matas Buzelis
Ayo Dosunmu is the only other candidate here who could have a gripe with Buzelis’ selection here. Through three years, Dosunmu has—rather quietly—established himself as a solid role player. Matas Buzelis on the other hand, has of course yet to play an NBA minute. Putting sound logic and evidence to the side for a moment, Buzelis is coming for all the buckets and all the highlight plays during his upcoming rookie campaign.
Barring major injuries, or an intentional decimation to their depth, Buzelis will likely spend the majority of his rookie season coming off the Bulls bench. With talented backcourt distributors in Josh Giddey, Coby White, and perhaps Lonzo Ball, Buzelis could find himself benefiting from plenty of easy baskets. Buzelis’ smooth athleticism and gazelle-like stride should make him a dangerous transition player. Once the rest of his game catches up, the Bulls could have a near nightly 20 point scorer coming off their bench. Dosunmu may have a leg up on Buzelis as far as things like efficiency, and plus/minus are concerned. But there’s no doubt who will be the most exciting player coming off the Bulls bench next year.
Most Improved Player: Josh Giddey
For the sake of the Bulls’ future, they better hope Giddey makes a run at the real Most Improved Player award. To acquire Giddey, the Bulls sent one of their most valuable assets—one of the most coveted non-star trade assets around the league in fact—in Alex Caruso. It was a widely acknowledged fact that Caruso was worth at least a first-round pick in any trade, so the Bulls’ return of just Giddey understandably drew a fair amount of raised eyebrows upon first reaction.
For his part, Giddey is still just 21. The Bulls unquestionably should have received some sort of draft capital in exchange for Caruso, but they are not completely off their rocker as 21-year-old, former top-10 picks, are far from finished products. In the right situation surrounded by the right players, Giddey still has a chance to be a real difference maker in this league. The Bulls appear to be all in on Giddey, so his role and opportunity do not seem to be under question. Look for Giddey to be a nightly triple-double threat during his first year with the Bulls, as he establishes himself as the player they’ve been missing sinceBall’s knee injury.
Most Valuable Player: Coby White
After a genuinely surprising second place finish in last season’s real-world Most Improved Player award, White seems like the safest bet to be the best Bulls player in 2024-2025. Zach LaVine stans may have something to say here, but considering the likelihood that LaVine finishes the season either on the injury shelf or on another team, any argument they may have can justifiably be thrown out.
White on the other hand just played 79 of 82 games last year. He increased his scoring output almost a full 10 points from the season prior. That level of improvement is typically not something we see from players entering their fifth year in the league. Originally viewed as more of an off the bench microwave scorer, if White has another level to unlock, he could be a real All-Star candidate entering his sixth year. Additionally, with the departure of DeMar DeRozan this summer, White should have even more responsibilities coming his way. As the Bulls shift ever so slowly to more of a youth movement, White should remain the focal point. Expect White to look more at home than ever next year in Chicago, as he continues to cement himself as the Bulls number one option, and best overall player.
