As the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics have been busy bolstering their squads, the Chicago Bulls have had a quiet summer. Rumors about landing certain players like Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday turned out to be simply fantasies of disgruntled Bulls fans. Nevertheless, Chicago’s front office and players share an unbothered confidence heading into the season. In the third year of this core, the Bulls look to run it back and see different results from the previous two seasons.
Third Time’s the Charm: Bulls Confident to Run it Back
Front Office Remains Hopeful in Core’s Third Year
Following Milwaukee’s blockbuster acquisition of Lillard, Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas shared his thoughts on Chicago’s place in the East:
“I’m optimistic about this group. I believe in this group. I believe in Billy [Donovan] improving certain things. We had goals last year focused on improving our record against good teams and improving our defense. We accomplished that. We took a step back on offense, and it was actually the details. We scored more points than the year before, but we were still 24th because everybody else made adjustments. It’s about adjusting from the past year and getting some improvement.’’
Continuity, continuity, continuity. That is seemingly the most valuable thing to Karnisovas as rival Eastern conference teams add talent to their rosters. This season will mark the third year of the Bulls’ core of DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vucevic. The Bucks and the Celtics may have added elite offensive and defensive talent, but an established, experienced team running it back is enough to rival those teams…right?
In his evaluation, the executive wasn’t lying when he said that the team improved their defense. Chicago had the #1 defensive rating in the league after January 1st last season. It was the Bulls’ offense that led to the disappointing 40-42 record. The team averaged 111.6 points per game in 2021-22, which ranked 13th in the league. In 2022-23, the Bulls improved to 113.1 points per game, but dropped to 22nd in that ranking. The league as a whole took steps forward offensively while Chicago stayed in the same spot.
Head coach Billy Donovan mentioned the Bulls’ need for improved spacing and attacking of the paint to keep up with the league’s evolving offense. Chicago ranked 26th in free-throw attempts and dead last in three-point attempts last season. Being aggressive in the paint, creating more three-point opportunities, and “changing [the team’s] shot profile” were Donovan’s keys to an improved offense for this season.
Players Unfazed and Determined
Media day spawned many quotes and conversations revealing the several of Chicago’s players’ mindsets in regards to what awaits them this season. A savvy 15-year veteran, DeMar DeRozan seemed to be more motivated than anxious looking forward to facing teams like the Bucks and Celtics:
“The competition level should want to bring the best out of you and want to compete against that. That’s how I look at it; that’s my view. And that’s one thing I express to the guys. When you see that, you gotta get more hungry, understanding you want to go against those big teams and compete.’’
DeRozan is currently in contract extension talks with Chicago, and will remain the primary option on this Bulls team this coming season. The veteran has never been one to back down from a challenge, considering he spent a large portion of his career consistently battling a prime LeBron James. DeRozan hopes to light the same fire under his younger teammates.
One of the few notable additions to the roster, Jevon Carter, had this to say about the movement around the East:
“Thoughts on Milwaukee and Boston? I don’t really care, I’m a Chicago Bull.”
Whether or not this was a bluff, it made for hopeful vibes among Bulls fans. Maybe that mindset is what the organization and fanbase needs. Unfazed by what other teams are doing, it’s all about the Bulls. Carter is slated to be an integral part of Chicago’s guard rotation and will undoubtedly be in competition for the starting PG spot.
Zach Lavine, while maybe a bit more cautious about their Eastern rivals’ offseason moves, also shared his philosophy going into the season:
“Everybody is zero, zero right now, so obviously they made some big trade acquisitions, some high-level guards; obviously Dame moving and Jrue getting back to another contender in the East, so we’ll see… Obviously everything was good on paper, but everyone is zero right now.’’
Lavine will be a major contributor in the front office’s goal to speed up the pace of play as one of the team’s best shooters and most aggressive players. A back-t0-back All-Star just two seasons ago, he looks to return to that and help DeRozan carry the offensive load for this team.
Hope for Bulls Nation
Fanbases can often look at the status of a team from afar and form judgments before even seeing the end result. Chicago’s front office and players made a point on Media Day to discourage that. Whether wise or not, The Bulls are choosing not to fixate on what other teams are doing but to focus inward, banking on chemistry and learning from past failures. As Chicago confidently runs it back, we will see if the third time truly is the charm for this hopeful Bulls team.
Is it feasible for the Chicago to have the Bulls confident to run it back? The season will show if this works out.
