The 109-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 27 could be proving that the Chicago Bulls are making something out of this disappointing season.
A big win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 27 got the Chicago Bulls back in the win column for the third time since the All-Star Break. The Chicago Bulls have also won four of the last five games.
It’s a weird feeling for fans of the Chicago Bulls that this is actually one of the hotter teams over the past two weeks in the Eastern Conference. This team has won four of its last five games. Two of those wins came over playoff contenders in the East too between the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. The other two wins came over the Grizzlies to sweep the season series.
While the Grizzlies aren’t the best team in the Western Conference by any means, it’s still nice to see this locker room and coaching staff able to put something together. The starting five also got a boost for some players returning from injury like point guard Kris Dunn and small forward Otto Porter Jr.
We could also soon see players like rookie center Wendell Carter Jr. and rookie forward Chandler Hutchison returning from injury. Carter Jr. could be a nice part of the Chicago Bulls front court heading into the future. Getting him back alongside power forward Lauri Markkanen could be very helpful for the remainder of the regular season.
However, we’re getting to the point where Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen pretty much has a split decision between what is the best course to chart for his team. Getting the younger and more talented players with a long-term future in the Windy City to click at the end of the regular season is huge for momentum and confidence heading into the summer. But, the whole “tanking” strategy certainly has some bearing for the franchise too.
From what we’ve seen from the Bulls on the court lately, this could certainly be a unit that is worthy of making a playoff run next season if the momentum continues. Markkanen is playing well enough of late that he could develop into a potential star that is worth building around for the Bulls.
The trio that is Markkanen, shooting guard Zach LaVine, and Porter Jr. pushed the Bulls to the two-point road victory over the Grizzlies yesterday. Markkanen posted yet another double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds while LaVine managed a game-high 30 points.
What is also encouraging for the Bulls is that 24-year-old point guard Ryan Arcidiacono is making some progress off the bench of late. He went 5-for-6 from the field in the win over the Grizzlies to give him 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists, without turning the ball over once.
The complete rotation is starting to click more for Boylen and the Bulls than anticipated at this point of the regular season. If the Bulls can enter the summer with this type of momentum and promise for the 2019-20 season along with getting a good slot in the upcoming draft lottery, this is about as good as it gets.