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A Layout of The Chicago Bulls 2015-16 Regular Season

By Michael Whitlow

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Oct 19, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; The Chicago Bulls huddle before the start of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Expectations

Since Derrick Rose carried the Chicago Bulls to the top of the NBA standings and won the 2010-11 NBA MVP, expectations have been as high as they’ve ever been in the post-1990s era. The Bulls were expected to rejoin and stay among the league’s elite for many years to come with Rose as the catalyst, but injuries have derailed Rose and the Bulls’ ascension to joining the world’s best.

ALSO SEE: Should There Be Concern Over Jimmy Butler’s Sluggish Start?

However, despite all of the madness and anarchy, the Bulls are still one of the best teams top-to-bottom in the Eastern Conference. Jimmy Butler has taken his game to another level and become one of the league’s best two-way players. Pau Gasol still has some gas left in the tank and the Bulls picked up their bigs of the future in recent years with Nikola Mirotic and the selection of Bobby Portis back in June. The Bulls have the pieces to make a run at the organization’s seventh NBA championship.

The $64,000 question is: Can the Chicago Bulls win a championship?

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    • In sports, literally anything can happen. Hell, the New York Mets are in the World Series. It’s not completely blasphemous to think that the Bulls can become one of the league’s premier offenses and make a deep playoff run. But, when you think of expectations for this team, remember that they’re still learning a defensive system that’s much different and less tolling on the bodies. To score more points this season and beyond, the Bulls will give up more points.

    Sure, the systems and personnel will be the focus of what the Bulls do in 2015-16, but until this team is at full strength for long periods of the season, how can you really make any expectations for this season? Nobody really knows what to expect from this new era of the Bulls, and that could be what makes this year so intriguing.

    The Eastern Conference is better as a whole and for the Chicago Bulls, getting to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998 won’t be easy. At full strength, Cleveland’s the clear-cut favorite to win the East. Toronto and Washington will be back in the fray, while the Miami Heat can be one of the league’s elite teams by keeping Chris Bosh healthy after his scare last season. (Good to have you back, CB.) Milwaukee gave the Bulls fits during their six-game series last postseason and Indiana is getting Paul George back and ready to go for a full slate.

    In terms of expectations, the general consensus would probably be:

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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