The Chicago Bulls had a rough 2018-19 season. The upcoming campaign won’t be much easier. But they appear to be better equipped this time around.
Through two preseason contests, the Chicago Bulls are winless. But what we have seen shows that this group has a much higher ceiling than the heights reached last year. They still have limitations and they will have shooting slumps. They will also run more and take more threes if the games so far are any indication.
The Promise:
The Bulls have scored 112 and 125 points in games against the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans, respectively. For the math whizzes out there, that is an average of 118.5 points per game which would have been tops in the league last year. The Bulls averaged 104.9 PPG in 2018.
Neither of the teams faced was in the top-10 in opponent points per game last year, but the Bucks at 11 come as close as can be. The Pels are one of the 12 teams that allowed more points than the Bulls, finishing at 27th. Last season’s starters averaged 70.7 points and 30.7 minutes per game. That number is at 60 points in 20 minutes this preseason.
Zach LaVine is averaging 22 points in just over 23 minutes per game after posting 23.7 in 34.5. His biggest leap has been in shot selection, positively affecting his efficiency. He slashed .467/.374/.832 in 2018 but so far is shooting .517/.538/.700.
The free throw numbers must (and will) rise. And while it just has to fall, if he can keep it close to what he has showcased so far he will almost certainly be an All-Star in 2019.
LaVine hasn’t gotten much help from his primary running mate. Lauri Markkanen is only averaging 13 points. He had 14/5/2 against the Bucks and 12/4/4 against the Pels. His shooting numbers have taken a dip (from 43 to 41.7) overall but risen from deep (36.1 to 42.9). That is similar to his attempts, falling from 15.3 to 12 overall but rising from 6.4 to seven from three.
The other parts of the Bulls have looked more than capable of filling their anticipated roles. Outside of LaVine and Markkanen the Bulls have four players averaging double-digits and another, 7’1” Luke Kornet, who scored nine points in his debut.
Even the rookies have looked good. Both Coby White (12.5/2.5/2) and Daniel Gafford (10 points, four rebounds) look like they will be immediate contributors.
The Limitations:
The other shoe, as it were, is the Bulls defense has still struggled. Allowing 113.2 in 2018 has turned into allowing 124.5 in the preseason. Both the Bucks and Pels scored far above their per game number from last season. That is saying something because the Bucks led the NBA with 118.1 points per game.
Wendell Carter is expected to anchor the defense this season but he has yet to suit up. Beyond him, the Bulls will lean on Otto Porter, Thaddeus Young, and the length of Tomas Satoransky to bolster their sieve of a defense.
In their defense, the starters are averaging a mere 1.7 minutes in the fourth quarter. That wouldn’t have helped them in the first game. They trailed Milwaukee 97-86 after three quarters. But against the Pelicans, the Bulls had a 107-86 lead going into the fourth. Being outscored 41-18 in a quarter is a bad look, but not so much considering the starters’ minutes.
Things also haven’t been all good for White. He is third on the team in scoring but his shooting, .360/.250/.556, has been abysmal. He is also averaging more rebounds (2.5) than assists (2), not great for a point guard. He could begin the year as LaVine’s primary backup.
Gafford has displayed all the energy that was advertised and has the makings of being the next fan-favorite big; filling a role vacated by Bobby Portis last year and Robin Lopez this offseason. But he has looked like a Bull in a China shop with the ball in his hands. He is currently converting only 50 percent of his attempts as a paint bound player.
The Bulls three-point shooting as a team hasn’t been great so far. They are hitting their triples at a 34.7 percent clip, lower than the 35.1 percent from 2018. Part of that was the especially poor showing against Milwaukee when Chicago only hit 31.6 of their threes. They bounced back against New Orleans, hitting 37.8, so a happy medium should be achievable.
Carter is nearing a return to the lineup. The pivotal big man appeared in 44 contests as a rookie while dealing with multiple injuries. He could certainly use the experience, opportunity to grow with his teammates, and time to expand his game (preferably beyond the three-point line) that the preseason offers.
The Outlook
Chicago has a chance to come out of the gates strong. Over the first 24 games, they face eight different playoff teams a total of 12 times. Four of those games (two apiece against the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors) take place over the final seven games of that stretch.
Not that it will be easy, but there is a chance the Bulls enter that four-game stretch at .500 or even slightly above. This, of course, assumes good (or at least improved) health compared to last season. So far, that is still not a given for this team. It is just the preseason but there is already a different, more positive feel to the Bulls ahead of the regular season.