The Chicago Bulls haven’t seen the postseason since 2017, but with all of the new acquisitions they made over the last few months, they could be primed to make some noise this season.
Zach LaVine made his first All-Star Game last season, averaging 27.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He could be in line for a major payday this offseason, so he may be more motivated than ever to build upon his success from last season.
New Acquisitions Bring All-Star Pedigree
The Bulls went all in at the trade deadline last season by acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Orlando Magic, as Chicago was in contention for one of the play-in spots for the playoffs. However, Vucevic didn’t quite give the Bulls the push they were hoping for down the stretch.
Vucevic’s numbers were still there for the Bulls, but they weren’t getting enough from their other role players to help the Bulls win some games.
Entering his second season in Chi-Town, Vooch brings excellent mid-range and 3-point shooting and post play to give the Bulls a reliable scoring option, as it will also help open up the floor for his teammates to get some good looks within the flow of the offense.
The Bulls also managed to acquire DeMar DeRozan over the offseason, as DeRozan brings a reliable threat to score in the mid-range and on drives to the rim. The pick-and-roll possibilities with DeRozan and Vucevic are endless.
Both scorers will take a ton of pressure off of LaVine this upcoming season, as having both players in the fold could maximize catch and shoot opportunities for LaVine, who converted 48.6 percent of those attempts last season.
Former #2 Pick Looking Good In The Preseason
The talent has always been there from a playmaking standpoint for Lonzo Ball, as he drew comparisons to Jason Kidd coming into the league.
However, his shot form wasn’t the most beautiful sight, and the results that came with it weren’t pretty either.
During his stint with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ball’s 3-point shooting improved significantly, as he was able to raise his 3-point attempts to three more per game while converting those looks at a nearly eight percent better clip.
In the preseason, Ball has shown no signs of slowing down from a shooting standpoint, as he made 5-of-6 of his attempts from downtown against the Pelicans. Perhaps he came into that game with a little extra motivation, but who knows?
All kidding aside, it seems like the eldest Ball brother is finally finding his niche in the league after escaping dysfunctional environments with the Los Angeles Lakers and Pelicans.
He still would likely never be the second overall pick in a redraft of the 2017 NBA Draft, but if he continues this rise, then he could very well be one of the five best players in that extremely talented class when it’s all said and done.
