As the playoffs ensue, many teams are already envisioning better days. Let’s see where these teams (including the Chicago Bulls) rank amongst their peers.
In this new age of the NBA, hoarding young talent is quintessential when it comes to successfully building a championship contender. The Chicago Bulls have tried their best to live up to this mantra, boasting a roster with only one player over the age of 26. If history has shown us anything, it’s that building around young talent is a great recipe for success.
The Golden State Warriors prospered through smart drafting and maintaining financial flexibility. Now, Eastern Conference rivals find themselves attempting to emulate this same formula. ‘Super teams’ come and go, building a dynasty is a much more difficult mountain to climb.
Following a rough 22-win season, Chicago should be more interested in the bright future that still lay ahead instead of dwelling on their recent failures. With the league becoming more competitive than it has ever been since a certain kid from Akron, OH, took his talents to South Beach, it’s critical the Bulls don’t miss a step in the rebuilding process.
When comparing the teams best equipped to be successful in the future, certain criteria will be applied to help provide context to the discussion:
- Only players 24 years old or younger at the beginning of the 2018-19 season were considered
- Players expected to be an unrestricted free agent this summer were not considered
Now that the rules have been set in place, let’s compare how the Chicago Bulls stack up against the rest of the league’s rapidly improving teams.