The Chicago Bulls have raised their expectations for this upcoming 2021-2022 NBA season with their key signings: DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso. They already acquired Nikola Vucevic during last season's trade deadline, thus indicating that Artūras Karnišovas is going all-in with this core in the hopes of re-signing Zach LaVine in the offseason.
Along with this, the Bulls were willing to sacrifice their future by dealing multiple draft picks in acquiring Ball and Vucevic.
With their notable improvements from last season, Chicago will take a major leap with this roster, but they are still not in close proximity with the other powerhouses in the East. Here are the main reasons on why the Chicago Bulls are still not one of the main contenders in the Eastern conference.
There's only one ball for the Bulls
Four of the key cogs in their squad flourish and showcase their abilities with the ball on their hands. Due to this, it will be difficult for head coach Billy Donovan to balance out their responsibilities and stagger their minutes in such a way that their production will not suffer on both ends of the floor for the Bulls.
LaVine has been the main man for the Bulls over the last years but adding DeRozan as his wing duo may be difficult because DeRozan is used to handling majority of the ball handling duties in his previous stints. DeRozan has not proven to be effective as an off the ball cutter or a spot-up shooter in any kind of offense.
On the other hand, Vucevic was magnificent with the Orlando Magic because they would dump it to him on the post or run many pick-and-rolls or pick-and-pop plays for him. It may not be feasible to do this with the Bulls because two of their stars will just be standing in the wings or corners and wait for the offense to work.
Defense
With the excellent firepower on the offensive side of the ball, the defense of the Chicago Bulls has a high chance of being abysmal this season. Ball, Caruso, and Patrick Williams are three prominent defenders that Donovan can rely on to prevent offenses from scoring consecutive buckets. However, the three main reliables of Chicago in LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic are below average defenders.
LaVine has shown flashes of brilliance on defense in his Team USA stint in the Tokyo Olympics, but it is a whole new ball game if he is tasked to defend the likes of James Harden, Jaylen Brown, or Jimmy Butler. Increasing the minutes of Caruso or Williams will force them to suffer a bit on the offense. Thus, Donovan will have the tough task of finding combinations that will flourish on both ends of the court.
Vucevic is a monster on offense, but his defensive skill set and rim protection ability must be improved for him to be an elite two-way player for the Bulls and one of the best big men in the Association. On pick and roll sets, he is not able to switch on the phenomenal guards, while he also has a difficult time in providing an interior presence to prevent them from attacking the rim.
Lack of experience
When the roster of the Chicago Bulls is flashed on the screen, there is no one in their team that has won a championship yet. Additionally, they do not have a vocal leader on their squad, like the Golden State Warriors with Draymond Green or the Boston Celtics with Marcus Smart. In a stage as huge as the NBA, it is essential to have a teammate that has the clear vision and objective of the franchise, and he is usually the person that anyone would follow.
There will be crossroads and adversities over the course of the season for the Bulls, but it is not evident on who is their proven leader in this franchise that has six NBA championships. They will be one of the most exciting teams to watch on League Pass, but it will not necessarily translate to consecutive wins that will catapult them to a top six spot in the loaded Eastern Conference.
Donovan has not been a coach that has experienced playoff success as well, thus it is not advisable to expect a deep playoff run for the Bulls. They could add a couple of proven veterans in the trade deadline or buyout market but that has yet to be seen. Several blowout preseason victories are pleasant and a great sight for their fans, but regular season and playoff basketball is a whole different ballgame.
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