PAE Roundtable: The Chicago Bulls’ Summer
Where do the Bulls finish this season?
MW: Alright, guys … one last question. With all of the questions and all of the debates to be had throughout this season, how will the 51st season of Chicago Bulls basketball end?
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BR: The Bulls are a 7th or 8th seed in next year’s Eastern Conference. But who really knows, the only sure bets at the top are Cleveland and Toronto, despite Boston’s acquisition of Al Horford.
It is really hard to see them getting past the first round, if they make it all.
Everything would have to go right for them to win a series. Butler needs to play like an All-Star and an All-Defensive Team player. Rondo needs to try to play nice, or if not, play real NBA basketball. Wade needs to play as well as he did last season with every young player playing up to their maximum potential.
MP: If I had to make a prediction right now, I would have the Bulls in the playoffs, probably as a 6-8 seed. I expect the Bulls to have a competitive series no matter who they play, but I just can’t see them getting past the first round.
DC: They are definitely a playoff roster based on the collective individual talent. However, I don’t know that they have the team element. Lots of players who need the ball, but there won’t be much spacing and if they miss a lot of shots, it could get ugly often since we don’t know what the rebounding is going to look like with a new-look front court.
It isn’t really all about the Bulls either.
They finished outside the playoffs last season behind a series of teams who either stayed the same or got better. Detroit improved, Pacers might have, Cleveland is already the best in the conference and Milwaukee is a strong candidate to bounce back with a very talented and youthful squad. And that is just in the Central. Orlando got better, New York got better, Boston got better, Wizards got better. The point is that the Bulls added talent, but maybe didn’t improve their chances.
SC: Since I am a glass half full guy, I’m going to predict the Chicago Bulls are a playoff team. With Cleveland, Boston and Toronto presumably being a lock in the top of the East, teams like New York, Indiana and Washington will be giving everyone a run for their money. Anywhere from a 5 to an 8-seed is a realistic for Chicago IF they contend. The big IF is can the Bulls get big contributions from the new Bench Mob, rookies like Grant and Valentine developing into quality backups and the new ‘Big 3’. If they figure this out quickly, I don’t see why the Bulls can’t be at the bottom of the playoff picture. It would certainly help their marketability from a free agent standpoint next summer if this team can make a playoff push. Players like Westbrook and Griffin want to play for a contender next season, not a pretender.
Prediction: 8-seed.