Chicago Bulls: 3 work-ons for the 2019-20 regular season

The Chicago Bulls enter the 2020 season with a settled roster, what changes do they need to make on the court to leap up the eastern conference standings?

The Chicago Bulls enter the 2019-2020 regular season with a stable roster punctuated by smart off-season signings. After win totals of 27 and 22 in the previous two years, this is the season they need to take a step forward. If they are to move up the eastern conference ladder here are the three key areas they need to improve.

Defense

The less glamorous end of the floor should be a massive focus for the 2020 Bulls. Their 25th ranked defense from last season received a boost with some strong offseason recruiting.

Thaddeus Young is one of the best defenders in the league and will add toughness and smarts on that end of the floor. Young’s active hands and stout post defense will aid a Bulls defense that conceded the 27th worst percentage at the rim last season.

Guard signing Tomas Satoransky will bolster a back court that struggled to defend the three ball last season. Satoransky is a great switch candidate at 6-foot-7. He can contain quicker players and is an excellent rebounder.

Lastly, Luke Kornet was a value addition on a two-year veterans minimum. On the Knicks last year, Kornet improved their defense by 4.2 points when he was on the floor. More mobile than he looks, at 7-foot-1 Kornet moves his feet well out on the open floor. His 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes was also second only to Mitchell Robinson on the Knicks last season.

Transition offense

This team needs to play fast. Ranked only 20th in pace last season, new coach Jim Boylen can make an impact right away by pushing his squad to play at speed. Not only is Boylen blessed with athletes up and down the roster, he has players adept at playing fast.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Otto Porter and Lauri Markkanen both ranked above the 81st percentile in transition efficiency last season. Though not as efficient when it came to scoring, both Zach LaVine and Wendell Carter also made a lot of plays in transition last season.

With rookie point guard Coby White in tow now, Boylen has a starting five of springy athletes who can push the ball. Add a healthy Markkanen to the above four and Boylen will have the horses to unlock LaVine’s transition potential.

Three point shooting

The Bulls ranked 27th in volume and 20th in accuracy when shooting the three ball last season. The easiest path for improvement will be the health of LaVine and Markkanen. Both 36% plus shooters from three, if they can play 75 games each this will go a long way towards increasing the  overall volume and accuracy.

The acquisitions of Kornet and Satoransky should also boost the three-point shooting. Kornet was one of only four seven footers to play over half the season and sink 1.5 or more threes a game.

Satoransky, though on low volume, is a career 40 percent shooter from three. Afforded only two attempts a game last season, this year he will have a lot more opportunity to fire away from deep. Rookie Coby White should also have the green light from down town. Though only a 35 percent shooter at college, White wasn’t afraid to let it fly, hoisting over six attempts a game last season.

This Chicago Bulls team has one of the more exciting young cores in the East. If healthy, their versatile roster should be able to take care of the basics while increasing their win total significantly.